Our girl had to go on parade with her ‘attacker’
Soldier girl’s hell in the Army
A female soldier accused of slashing her Scots comrade’s neck with a broken bottle in a Magaluf nightclub is facing an attempted homicide trial in Spain.
Young mum Sydney Cole, 20, will face a Spanish court after the British Army allowed her to remain on duty and serve on the same base as her victim after the alleged attack.
The blonde squaddie – who has a new baby – could now spend 10 years in a Spanish jail if found guilty of the attack after a 14-hour drinking binge.
Lance corporal Sarah Ann Garrity, 23, was left in intensive care after losing four pints of blood when her throat was cut at an all-you-can-drink foam party.
A source said: “She told the Spanish police not to charge Sydney because she felt sorry for her and didn’t want to see a young girl banged up in a jail abroad.
“She expected Sydney to be full of remorse but when she got back home after being on life support she wasn’t given as much as an apology.
“She went back to work three months later and Sydney was still on the base. Sarah asked her bosses if Cole could be moved but was told to just get on with it.
“Sarah joined up at 16 and has given her life to the Army and feels betrayed over the way they have dealt with it.”
The pair had been sharing a hotel room in the resort with another young female soldier, Deborah Ferguson.
The group were said to have been drinking heavily all day.
Cole was arrested by Spanish cops following the incident in April 2019.
But Saa rah, f rom IrIr v ine, Ayrshire, told court officials she did not wantant to press charges against herer Army friend, who was later freed from jail and told she could return to Britain.
Now Coleole will face a Spanish court after an investigatingting magistrate in the countryntry ruled there was evidencence she commit-committed a crime.e.
It is understoodderstood she will g ive a new polpol icic e statementt – via video due to Covid19 travel restrictions – and will be called back to Spain to face trial.
Yet Cole has not been suspended by the Army – and the two even stood on parade together.
Sarah, a soldier in the Royal Logistics Corps, part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, needed 14 stitches in her neck after the
brawl at Bananas Club. Her lung collapsed and she only survived after a rugby player raced to stop the blood gushing from her wounded neck.
UK armed forces are affected by a concerning drinking culture and the Army has long come under fire due to the number of its personnel hitting the bottle.
They are three times more likely to drink at a harmful level than the general public, Ministry of Defence figures revealed.
Cole’s defence lawyer said: “State
prosecutors have yet to submit a formal indictment.”
If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in jail.
It is understood the Army took “administrative action” against Cole, which can include a verbal warning.
Last night, a family member of Sarah’s, who asked not to be named, said: “We don’t feel the Army has looked after our girl in the way they should have. When she got back to the base, she was expected to stand on parade with Cole. She was off work for three
months and just one officer came out to see her. We are not happy.”
Last night, an Army spokesman said: “We can confirm an investigation is ongoing following an incident with a British soldier in Spain last year.
“We take our duty of care to personnel very seriously and a dedicated welfare officer is always appointed to ensure pastoral support is provided to those who need it.
“Whi le this mat ter is under investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”