Brigadier denies he is ‘Deepcut apologist’

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 told the inquest of 17-year-old Private Geoff Gray, who suffered two gunshot wounds to his head on September 17, 2001, at the Surrey base: “I’m not pushing for any verdict in particular, it’s not my business.”

John Cooper QC, for the family of Pte Gray, told Woking Coroner’s Court another recruit or recruits may have shot the teenager, of Hackney, east London, while he performed guard duty.

Mr Cooper yesterday said: “We suggest Brigadier Coles is an apologist for what happened at Deepcut and his evidence is to assist the Ministry of Defence to evade any questions concerning violence, threats or intimidation.”

He told Brigadier Coles, who is the head of the Army services personnel group, there was a wealth of material indicating that Deepcut was a “very violent regime” at the time Pte Gray died.

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, listed to last until May, is happening because Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC said he was satisfied fresh evidence had come to light.

Pte Gray was one of four young soldiers to die at the barracks between 1995 and 2002.