Deepcut family's relief at new inquest for Private Cheryl James
The parents of teenager soldier who died at the controversial Deepcut army barracks today spoke of their relief at the decision there is to be a new inquest into her death.
Des and Doreen James from Llanymynech near Oswestry say they always believed that eventually someone would listen to them.
Private Cheryl James, was just 18 when she died from a single gunshot wound to her head in November 1995. She had been alone, on guard duty at the barracks.
The couple have campaigned tirelessly for the inquiries into the death of not only their daughter but three other young soldiers who died at Deepcut between 1995 and 2002 to be re-opened.
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Yesterday at the High Court of Justice in London, the chief coroner, Peter Thornton, quashed the original inquest and ordered a fresh investigation.
He said: "The original investigation was extremely limited and had flaws. An early assumption seems to have been made that Cheryl took her own life with her own rifle.
"The fragmented bullet was not examined and was later lost as were the casing of the bullet, the other bullets in the rifle and Cheryl's clothing.
Her rifle was not examined forensically and no fingerprints were taken from it.
Mr James, who was at the High Court to hear the decision, said: "There is no celebration. We cannot celebrate a meaningful inquiry into Cheryl's death that comes almost 20 years later than it should have.
"Over the years there have been many knocks to our self-confidence. But we have always believed that we would get somewhere. We are relieved and reassured that someone finally believed us."
He said the writing of the Deepcut play by author Philip Ralphs, who was also at the court to here the news, had been a major stepping stone towards getting justice for his daughter, as had been the involvement of the campaign group, Liberty.
"We must also thank our family and friends who have stood by us all this time," said Mr James.
"When our servicemen and women lose their lives while in the service of their country their death must be considered and investigated carefully with respect and dignity; not cast aside as an irritation with convenient assumptions providing an alternative for due diligence.
"The young people of this country who volunteer to defend us deserve better. We can only hope that the legacies of Cheryl and the other three young servicemen may help secure real change to the current ineffective and discredited military justice system."
