Parents of Private Geoff Gray believe son was murdered at Deepcut
May 13 2009 The Journal
The parents were speaking at Westminster after receiving an advance copy of the report from Colonel Simon Doughty, chairman of the Board of Inquiry. They have always maintained their son’s death was never properly investigated.
The couple were furious to be limited in what they could say after the MoD told them not to talk about the contents of the document before Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth makes a statement on the inquiry to the House of Commons tomorrow, when the report will be officially published.
Mr Gray said: “We’ve been threatened by the Army that if we break that embargo, no other families in future will have a prior release by the Board of Inquiry.
“That’s just bullying tactics by the Army. For the last seven years it has been a hard fight to get information out of the Army. Even now, I have had to stand there and fight to get this report. I’m very upset. There was no need to threaten me.”
A second Board of Inquiry report into the death of Private James Collinson, who was found dead at the barracks in March 2002, will also be published tomorrow.
Colonel Doughty was also travelling to Perth in Scotland today to hand that report to Pte Collinson’s parents.
Pte Collinson was found with a single gunshot wound. The 17-year-old had been on guard duty at the barracks. An open verdict was also recorded at his inquest.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: “Our duty of care towards service families is a top priority and that is why these reports are being released to the Gray and Collinson families in advance of release to Parliament and the public.
“If the families are content, the reports are normally presented alongside a briefing from the Board of Inquiry president so that they have the chance to ask questions, before being given time to read and digest the report in private.”
The deaths of Pte Gray and Pte Collinson followed those of two other recruits at the barracks, which is to close by 2013.
All four of the recruits who died at Deepcut had gunshot wounds.
Pte Sean Benton, 20, from Hastings, East Sussex, was found dead in June 1995, and Pte Cheryl James, 18, of Llangollen, Clwyd, died there in November that year.
