Latest tragedy ‘unforgivable’ insists lawyer in deaths case

A LAWYER for the father of a soldier who died in a training exercise on the Brecon Beacons three years ago has called the latest tragedy “unforgivable”.

Solicitor Clare Stevens, who represented Corporal James Dunsby’s father, David, at an inquest into the soldier’s death, said the tragedy of soldier Josh Hoole poses fresh questions about the attitude of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to safety.

Cpl Dunsby was one of three soldiers who died after taking part in an SAS training exercise in the Brecon Beacons in 2013 on one of the hottest days of the year.

A coroner ruled Lance Corporal Edward Maher, from Winchester, Lance Corporal Craig Roberts, from Penrhyn Bay, North Wales, and Cpl Dunsby, from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, died as a result of neglect on the 16-mile exercise.

In the latest incident a senior NCO, Cpl Josh Hoole of the Rifles regiment, collapsed while on the Brecon Beacons on a training exercise on the hottest day of the year.

Mrs Stevens said: “If it’s heat-related, the Army hasn’t learnt its lessons and that’s unforgiveable. I represented David Dunsby at the inquest and we’ve been calling for the MoD to be stripped of its immunity from prosecution.

“Quite simply, soldiers shouldn’t be dying in training exercises. It raises questions yet again about the MoD’s approach to health and safety.

“It keeps telling us it has learnt its lessons but where’s the proof? Whilst at the moment facts are unfolding and we need to be careful not to speculate it’s extremely concerning that a soldier has died on what again was the hottest day of the year in a training exercise.

“We feel quite strongly that until the MoD is held publicly accountable as any other employer is how can we have any confidence in its ability to police itself?”

Cheshire-based lawyer Mrs Stevens, a director of legal firm Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd, insisted they were not trying to compromise the quality or rigour of the training troops face.

She added: “Training does need to be realistic but we’re not meant to kill our troops in training. And none of the control measures that should have been in place three years ago would have prevented the training from being realistic.

“But at the same time these troops are very valuable to us and we should be protecting them and these deaths are needless. We’re not talking about dumbing down training – it does need to be realistic but it also needs to be measured and risks properly assessed.”