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Deepcut inquest: Army recruits 'took illegal drugs' | Deepcut inquest: Army recruits 'took illegal drugs' |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Army recruits were left running around taking illegal drugs and drinking while under age, an inquest into the death of a teenage soldier has been told. | Army recruits were left running around taking illegal drugs and drinking while under age, an inquest into the death of a teenage soldier has been told. |
The court heard of chaos and lack of supervision at Deepcut Barracks in Surrey, where Pte Cheryl James, 18, was found dead from a single bullet wound. | The court heard of chaos and lack of supervision at Deepcut Barracks in Surrey, where Pte Cheryl James, 18, was found dead from a single bullet wound. |
One of the last people to see her alive described Deepcut as a "prison camp". | |
WO1 Sarah Ditchfield, who trained with Pte James, admitted taking illegal drugs with recruits at a nightclub. | WO1 Sarah Ditchfield, who trained with Pte James, admitted taking illegal drugs with recruits at a nightclub. |
She said Pte James had taken speed, a class B amphetamine. | She said Pte James had taken speed, a class B amphetamine. |
"If she went out she would take something," WO1 Ditchfield told Woking Coroner's Court. "We were 17-year-old kids who had money in our pockets. | |
"There wasn't enough NCOs (non-commissioned officers) to control the amount of recruits they had." | |
Pte James, from Llangollen in Denbighshire, was one of four recruits to die from bullet wounds at the base between 1995 and 2002. | Pte James, from Llangollen in Denbighshire, was one of four recruits to die from bullet wounds at the base between 1995 and 2002. |
An initial inquest into her death in 1995 recorded an open verdict but that was overturned by the High Court, which ordered the new hearing. | An initial inquest into her death in 1995 recorded an open verdict but that was overturned by the High Court, which ordered the new hearing. |
Who were the Deepcut four? Background to the deaths and timeline of events | Who were the Deepcut four? Background to the deaths and timeline of events |
WO1 Ditchfield broke down in tears as she recalled hearing about her friend's death and said Pte James's boyfriend Paul Wilkinson was "in bits". | |
She also told how Pte James had a second relationship with another recruit, James Carr-Minns. | |
"[She] found herself in a situation where she didn't want to finish with one of them," said WO1 Ditchfield. | |
'Prison camp' | |
A statement by Nicola Clifford - one of the last people to see Pte James alive - was read to the court. It said: "Her demeanour seemed fine and she was pleasant to me. | |
"I would describe Deepcut as a prison camp where we were not allowed to have a life." | |
Another former Deepcut recruit, Marina Fawcett, told the inquest Pte James was desperate to leave the Army and had "joked" about killing herself. | |
"She literally mentioned 'we're going to shoot ourselves on guard duty one day aren't we?' and I said 'yes'," Ms Fawcett said. | |
"She was saying it as general banter... I don't know why she said it, it just sounded like a laugh like when someone says something stupid." | "She was saying it as general banter... I don't know why she said it, it just sounded like a laugh like when someone says something stupid." |
Ms Fawcett said one of the training sergeants "had a bit of a thing" for Pte James but she rejected his advances. | |
"She said he was horrible," she said. | "She said he was horrible," she said. |
"They [the senior officers] were on a power trip and they got a buzz off it." | |
Pte James had been called a "slag" by fellow trainees, the inquest heard. | Pte James had been called a "slag" by fellow trainees, the inquest heard. |
Ms Fawcett said that on the morning of Pte James's death they had an argument about her love life. | Ms Fawcett said that on the morning of Pte James's death they had an argument about her love life. |
"I might have been winding her up but I knew in a couple of minutes she would be fine," she said. | "I might have been winding her up but I knew in a couple of minutes she would be fine," she said. |
"That was the last time I seen her. She just seemed her normal self, she seemed fine." | |
Heather Williams, who taught Pte James for five years, said her problems stemmed from the fact she was adopted. | |
She told the inquest: "She was emotional about not knowing her true background and wanted to know where she belonged. | |
"She had an antisocial attitude and was a tough nut to crack." | |
"When I found out about her death I was shocked, but not surprised," she said. | |
The inquest continues. | The inquest continues. |