Widow wants MOD charged over SAS march deaths

THE widow of a soldier who died on a training exercise has called for the scrapping of the Army’s immunity from prosecution after a court martial against two SAS instructors collapsed yesterday.

Bryher Dunsby said the Ministry of Defence needed to be put on trial for the death of Corporal James Dunsby, her husband, and two other reservists Lance Corporals Edward Maher and Craig Roberts. Corporal James Dunsby was one of three reservists who died during an SAS test march in the Brecon Beacons

They died during an 18-mile march through the Brecon Beacons in extreme heat while carrying a full pack and dummy rifle in 2013. Two unnamed SAS officers were cleared of wrongdoing after a judge threw the case out.

Families said the SAS instructors had been “scapegoated” and that fault lay with the Mod’s failure to have in place official guidance for endurance training marches.

Speaking outside the military court in Bulford, Wilts, Mrs Dunsby said that the MOD was “still protected from prosecution for corporate manslaughter by crown immunity” but that it was “beyond acceptable” that there was still no official guidance.

A judge told the families the deaths occurred “because of the systemic failures within Joint Forces Command”.

The Army said: “We have made a number of changes, particularly in relation to heat stress and training, to ensure this does not happen again.”