Soldiers ‘facing court martial’ over death of corporal
TWO soldiers involved in a fitness test where a recruit collapsed and died could face prosecution, it emerged yesterday.
The Royal Military Police referred the men to the Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) for alleged negligence after the death of Corporal Joshua Hoole on July 19, 2016.
The SPA is considering whether or not they will be charged and tried by court martial or referred back to their chain of command.
Civilian police have already concluded that no criminal offences occurred during the test when Corporal Hoole, 26, a fit and experienced infantryman, died suddenly in the Brecon Beacons.
Last night Corporal Hoole’s father, Phillip, said he wanted justice for his son as he suggested the Ministry of Defence should be charged with corporate manslaughter for failing him.
Mr Hoole said he no longer believed his son, from Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire, died of an undiagnosed genetic heart condition, as previously stated in a military inquiry, and demanded an inquest.
He said he believed his son collapsed after army trainers missed opportunities to halt the routine exercise when temperatures were likely to have risen above safe levels.
He told the Mail: ‘I want the truth to come out and I want justice. The only way the Ministry of Defence would sit up is if they get charged with corporate manslaughter.’
Mr Hoole, 56, claims troops had fallen ill on the day and a safety vehicle was overloaded with soldiers.
Temperatures on the day of Corporal Hoole’s death are understood to have surpassed the army policy cut-off of 68F (20C), despite the training exercise having been brought forward from 11am to 7am.
On that day temperatures were later to peak at just above 86F (30C).
A Ministry of Defence (MoD) service inquiry into the death was carried out by the Defence Safety Authority. It said Corporal Hoole, of the Rifles regiment at ITC Catterick, had 55lb of equipment on when he collapsed shortly before 9am, 400 yards from the end of the eight-mile course.
The highly trained soldier had been experiencing agitation, panting and cramps before he collapsed at the Infantry Battle School at Dering Lines, Brecon.
Army colleagues assisted, treating Corporal Hoole until an ambulance arrived, just over ten minutes after he fell to the ground.
He was pronounced dead shortly afterwards, at 9.39am.
The cause of death was redacted in the report but was described as being ‘within the definition of Sudden Arrhythmogenic Death Syndrome (SADS)’, a genetic heart conditions that can cause sudden death in young, apparently healthy people.
At the time of his collapse Corporal Hoole’s core body temperature was two degrees higher than it should have been at 102.2F (39C).
Mr Hoole, a former company sergeant-major, said: ‘The army fit20C, ness test should not have been started and Josh should not be dead.
‘When I put everything together I really do not believe that Josh died from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome. I believe it was more from the heat and the exercise that day.’
Soldiers were concerned about the hot weather and so the start time for the test was brought forward. Under army policy, fitness exercises should be stopped if temperatures hit 68F (20C), but the only temperature reading that was taken with an officially approved wet bulb globe temperature device on this occasion was just after the beginning of the test.
At the time the course was completed, roughly two hours later, the temperature had risen to about 72F (22C).
An inquiry found that the temperature probably reached the limit, at between 8.30am and 8.40am.
Corporal Hoole collapsed at 8.52am and was pronounced dead 47 minutes later.
His death occurred three years after three soldiers died during an SAS exercise in the Brecon Beacons.
In 2015, a coroner ruled that Corporal James Dunsby, Lance Corporal Edward Maher and Lance Corporal Craig Roberts died as a result of neglect on the 16-mile march on July 13, 2013.
The report, commissioned by the MoD, said failures at multiple levels led to the deaths.
A spokesman for the MoD said: ‘The death of Corporal Joshua Hoole was a tragedy and our thoughts remain with his family and friends.
‘Following a Royal Military Police investigation into the circumstances of his death, the case has been referred to the independent Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA).
‘It would not be appropriate to comment while the SPA’s consideration of the facts are ongoing.’
‘Test should not have started’