Woman cadet, 21, kills herself at Sandhurst

She had been quizzed by superiors over boozy night out

A FEMALE cadet at Britain’s elite military academy Sandhurst has been found dead in an apparent suicide after being questioned by senior officers following a night out.

The unnamed 21-year-old had been involved in an investigation over claims that she spent the night in another accommodation block last weekend.

The woman, who was found dead in her room on Wednesday, is the first female to commit suicide at the world-renowned Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Surrey.

She had been spotted walking back to her barracks after a boozefuelled night and was reported to her superiors, it is understood.

It was initially assumed to be a ‘walk of shame’ but claims of any sexual activity were later disputed, a source said.

There was no allegation of wrongdoing other than her not returning to her barracks that night. Under Army rules, cadets are not allowed to sleep in rooms other than their own.

Several cadets were being questioned as part of the investigation. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that an investigation had been launched by Thames Valley Police.

The trainee officer had signed up in May last year and was in the senior term of the year-long course. She was due to be commissioned in April. Her friends at the prestigious academy have been described as heartbroken.

A spokesman for the MoD said: ‘We can confirm that an incident has occurred at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst resulting [in] the death of an Officer Cadet. Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.’ A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: ‘At around 3pm on Wednesday officers were called to the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst.

‘On attending the scene they found that a woman in her twenties had sadly died. Her next of kin have been informed. The death is being treated as unexplained but non-suspicious. A file is being prepared for the coroner.’

The training academy is where all officers in the British Army are taught the responsibilities of leading soldiers. Officers from all over the world also train there. The British Army website describes it as ‘one of the world’s toughest and most revered military training academies’ and its motto is ‘serve to lead’.

The latest tragedy follows the suicide of another Officer Cadet in 2003. Martin Pybus, 26, killed himself in his room just 24 hours before the Sovereign’s Parade that would have marked the end of his officer training.

An inquest heard how Mr Pybus, from Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, sent a text message to his fiancee saying: ‘I hope tomorrow makes you smile,’ before hanging himself. The former judo champion had left his notebook open on his desk at a page describing the apparent ‘flaws’ in his relationship with his fellow army cadet, Tiffany Frankland.

Earlier this week a Mail investigation found that soldiers who survived the bloodiest summer in Afghanistan’s most dangerous battleground a decade ago were taking their own lives at an alarming rate.

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