Army officer denies ordering soldier's 'beasting'

An Army adjutant has denied that he ordered a soldier who collapsed and died to be "beasted" as punishment for "embarrassing" his regiment.

Captain Mark Davis told Winchester Crown Court that he never used the words regarding Private Gavin Williams, who died after being put through an intense session of physical exercise in the summer of 2006.

Pte Williams, from Hengoed in South Wales, of the Second Battalion the Royal Welsh Regiment, died on one of the hottest days of the summer that year.

The trial has heard that Pte Williams had been in trouble after a weekend of drunken high jinks at Lucknow Barracks in Tidworth, Wiltshire.

This included him being aggressive and letting off a fire extinguisher at Daniel Brown, a guest of Capt Davis, at a regimental ball on Saturday July 1 2006.

Capt Davis told the court that he had recorded the incident with the provost guard room in the early hours of Sunday and had come to work on the Monday morning intent on arranging for him to be disciplined.

When Pte Williams was located, Capt Davis admitted that he had called the guard room and asked him to be brought to him.

But Capt Davis said he did not remember using the words "panting like a dog", which the trial has heard were part of the order he made.

Capt Davis said: "I phoned the provo guard room and asked them to bring him to me.

"I am not sure if I used those words, I think I used the words 'hot and sweaty'. But those words, 'panting like a dog', do not seem like words I would use, but I said: 'Bring him to me and I want him on the back foot'."

Capt Davis explained that he wanted Pte Williams brought to him "out of breath" because he was worried he would be aggressive towards him, but said that he was not when he arrived.

He said that he told Pte Williams that he was a "disgrace" and was "messing up his life" and ordered him to write letters of apology to Mr Brown and other guests he had abused after the ball.

Capt Davis said he then ordered Corporal John Edwards, 33, to take Pte Williams away.

He said he had not been aware that Pte Williams was then subjected to the alleged "beasting" - an informal Army punishment through intense physical exercise - but had heard him being marched away at speed.

He said that Pte Williams should not have been punished in this manner for the offence of abusing his guests.

But he added: "There would have been a variety of offences for the provo staff to choose from which would not have already been hit by these charges."

Under cross-examination, Capt Davis admitted that he had been arrested following Pte Williams' death and questioned by police for 36 hours.

He said that he did not believe that physical exercise would have been the cause of the soldier's death because he had "faith and trust" in his colleagues.

Sergeant Paul Blake, 37, Corp Edwards, and Provost Sergeant Russell Price, 45, all deny manslaughter.

The trial continues.

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