Witness tells Deepcut inquest Cheryl was 'upset'

A witness who saw Army recruit Private Cheryl James on the day she died said she looked "upset" and "miserable" at the time.

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Corporal Ian Wilkinson was stopped by Pte James at the gates of Deepcut Barracks for an identity check as he drove to work at about 8.15am to 8.30am on November 27, 1995.

A colleague, Sergeant Phil Wood, said he arrived on foot a short time later and the gate was unmanned and unguarded.

Pte James, 18, whose family now live at Llanymynech near Oswestry, was found dead with a bullet wound to the head.

She was one of four recruits to die at the Army training camp in Surrey over a seven-year period.

Cpl Wilkinson told an inquest at Woking Coroner's Court that Pte James, who was in uniform and had a rifle strapped across her front, "looked down in the dumps."

He told the hearing: "She looked upset, did not seem altogether with it. She seemed miserable. I said something to the effect of, 'Cheer up, it might never happen'."

He said the first time he was officially spoken to about the incident was in 2003.

He said: "I never hid the fact I may have been the last person to see Ms James on November 27, 1995.

"That is what I thought and nobody ever approached me to recollect this and put down a statement."

Cpl Wilkinson said he could not remember what the standing orders were for how weapons should have been held, and if they should have been loaded, but that he would have noticed if there was anything untoward.

Sgt Wood told the inquest earlier that that it was "unusual" for the gate to be unmanned, as someone was normally there to check passes.

He told the court: "From what I could see it (the gate) was slightly ajar. The barrier was up."

He said he telephoned the guard room about it, and they said they were dealing with it.

Major Peter Harris was cycling to work when he was stopped and security checked by Pte James at the gate at about 8.10am-8.15am.

She was properly dressed for duty and had a weapon strapped across her but there was also a young civilian man who "looked a bit sheepish" standing behind her, he told the inquest.

Maj Harris, who left the Army in 2007, said he could not talk about the condition of the weapon and whether it was loaded with a magazine because he did not see it.

He said the man – later identified as Private Paul Wilkinson, one of Pte James's boyfriends – should not have been there.

He told the inquest: "I ascertained that he should not have been there and asked him, was he chatting her up?

"He was in civilian clothes. It was just unusual. He should not have been there.

"He said he was just passing, which I took as a bit of a limp excuse.

"I said that, 'You should not be here because you will be interfering with her duties and you should leave'. He said he would."

Maj Harris said he did not look back to see if the man was leaving, but having "given him a lawful command, he should do as he was told".

The officer added: "I did not see a magazine on the weapon."

Alison Foster, for the James family, asked: "Is it possible that a sentry on guard duty might have had a magazine strapped to their weapon at that time?"

Maj Harris replied: "It is possible."

He described any suggestion by Pte Wilkinson that Maj Harris walked him off the barracks after seeing him at the gate as "completely false".

The hearing continues.

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