Brigadier denies being apologist for Deepcut barracks regime of ‘violence, threats and intimidation’ at inquest into gunshot death of 17-year-old soldier
- Brigadier Christopher Coles was giving evidence at a soldier’s inquest
- Private Geoff Grey suffered two gunshot wounds at Deepcut barracks in 2001
- He dismissed allegations he had withheld key information from the inquest
- Brig Coles told the inquest he was not ‘pushing for any particular verdict’
Private Geoff Gray, pictured, suffered two gunshot wounds to the head while on guard duty at Deepcut barracks on September 17, 2001
A senior Army officer has denied being an apologist for a regime of ‘violence, threats and intimidation’ at Deepcut barracks and pushing for a verdict of suicide in the inquest into the death of a young soldier.
Brigadier Christopher Coles also dismissed allegations the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had withheld key information from the inquest of 17-year-old Private Geoff Gray.
The family of Pte Gray, who suffered two gunshot wounds to his head on September 17 2001, believe another recruit or recruits may have shot the teenager from Hackney, east London, while he was on guard duty at the Surrey base.
John Cooper QC, for the Gray family, told Woking Coroner’s Court: ‘We suggest Brigadier Coles is an apologist for what happened at Deepcut and his evidence is to assist the MoD to evade any questions concerning violence, threats or intimidation.’
He told Brig Coles, who is the head of the Army services personnel group: ‘I’m suggesting that your statement is designed to carry on and propagate the suicide scenario.
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‘You have been assuming suicide and continue to assume suicide when there’s a wealth of material indicating that Deepcut was a very violent regime at the time Geoff died.’
Brig Coles replied: ‘I’m not pushing for any verdict in particular, it’s not my business.’
He also dismissed an anonymous letter sent to Mr Cooper purportedly written by an MoD insider alleging key information about Deepcut has been suppressed from the inquest.
Brig Coles said: ‘It didn’t say anything that I felt made it seem what I had submitted to the court was inaccurate or dishonourable.
‘If I was concerned that my statement was inaccurate … I would be deeply dissatisfied but I stand by what I said in my statement.
‘I’ve not sought to suppress anything. There’s nothing being suppressed.’
Brigadier Christopher Coles, pictured, insisted he has not tried to suppress anything from the inquest
Pte Gray’s parents Geoff and Diane, pictured outside his inquest in Woking, Surrey said their son had signed up to serve his country
The letter, asserted by Mr Cooper to be written by an informed insider or group of insiders, states: ‘It has been made clear that other source documents detailing the situation in 2001-03 are not to be part of the new evidence regarding the Gray statement for the upcoming inquest and that the statement structure as set out for Benton is to be maintained.’
The reference regards Private Sean Benton, 20, who died at Deepcut in 1995.
His death was caused by ‘self-inflicted’ gunshot wounds to the chest, coroner Peter Rook QC ruled last year.
He was the first of four recruits to die from gunshot wounds at the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut, between 1995 and 2002 amid claims of bullying and abuse.
Cheryl James, 18, and James Collinson, 17, also died at the base.
Surrey Police said officers launched a new criminal investigation into allegations including assault and misconduct in public office at the barracks after the conclusion of Pte Benton’s inquest last year.
The note also claims: ‘The view of those now stepping away from working to draft the Army statement is that the chain of command is deeply embarrassed that it was regularly informed of the stresses and strains at Deepcut and deliberately chose to ignore the information.
‘This contemporaneous information is now to be suppressed for the Gray Inquest hence the unease of those in the drafting team.’
Pte Gray was the one of four recruits to die from gunshot wounds at the Deepcut barracks base between 1995 and 2002
Regarding its provenance, Brig Coles said: ‘It looked to me possible it had been written by possibly a soldier … from somebody who had a slightly more limited educational background who had come from the Army.’
Mr Cooper questioned what made him think it was written by ‘someone with a limited educational background?’
Brig Coles replied he thought there had been spelling and grammatical errors, but after being given around two minutes to read the document, he broke the silence to tell the court: ‘I’m looking for errors I spotted previously but they’re not hopping out.’
The letter is not evidence in the inquest but was disclosed to the media by coroner Peter Rook QC after it was referred to in open court.
In 2002, a coroner recorded an open verdict in the first inquest into the death of Pte Gray, originally from County Durham.
The new inquest is happening because Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC said he was satisfied fresh evidence had come to light.
The inquest, which does not have a jury, is expected to hear from 91 witnesses and is listed to last until early May.
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