Body Of Deepcut Soldier Exhumed For New Inquest

The body of a teenage soldier who died at Deepcut Barracks 20 years ago has been exhumed ahead of a new inquest that will examine whether someone else was involved in her death.

Private Cheryl James was one of four soldiers who died from gunshot wounds at the Surrey barracks between 1995 and 2002 amid claims of bullying and abuse.

One theory is that they committed suicide - but the family of Private James won a High Court battle after claiming the original inquest, where an open verdict was recorded, was too short.
They argue that bullet fragments found inside the 18-year-old's body were yellow - but the bullets inside the rifle she was carrying were red.

A preliminary hearing heard these "metallic fragments" will undergo testing ahead of the new inquest, which starts in February and is expected to last seven weeks.
Woking coroner Brian Barker QC said: "Following consideration of the submission made by the family at the last hearing I made an order on 4 June. As a result of that the exhumation took place on the 10 August.

"Cheryl James was reburied after a short ceremony with the close family present."
The new inquest will try to establish what happened on the night in November 1995 when Private James, from Llangollen, North Wales, was found with a gunshot wound to her head.
It will also address whether there were "shortcomings" with barracks policies on sexual behaviour, supervision of young females, drugs and alcohol, the hearing was told.
Private James' father, Des, said: "There are serious questions that have not been answered and some evidence to suggest uncertainty as to the origin of the bullet.
"You lose a child, there's no children and then there's no grandchildren, and so it goes on. It's very difficult to explain that."
Privates Sean Benton, James Collinson and Geoff Gray also died from gunshot wounds within a seven-year period.

Mr James added: "We're faced with a serious injustice here. I believe there's another three in Deepcut.
"There's a host of anecdotal evidence around the Deepcut deaths that points in the direction of inappropriate sexual behaviour by recruits and by NCOs (non-commissioned officers)."

Sky News