'Beasting' order denied in court

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A court has heard an army adjutant deny ordering an informal punishment known as "beasting", for a soldier who later collapsed and died of heatstroke.

Pte Gavin Williams, 22, of Hengoed, Caerphilly, died at Lucknow Barracks in Tidworth, Wiltshire on 3 July, 2006.

He was in trouble for drunken behaviour at a weekend regimental ball.

Sgt Russell Price, 45, Sgt Paul Blake, 37, and Cpl John Edwards, 32, who carried out the punishment, all deny the manslaughter of Pte Gavin Williams.

Adjutant, Capt Mark Davis, said he had come to work on the Monday morning intent on disciplining Pte Williams.

Winchester Crown Court heard that Pte Williams let off a fire extinguisher at Daniel Brown, a guest of Capt Mark Davis, at the ball on 1 July 2006.

Letters of apology

Capt Davis told the court that he had recorded the incident with the provost guard room in the early hours of Sunday 2 July 2006.

On the morning of Monday 3 July, Pte Williams was brought to Capt Davis, who said he told the soldier that he was a "disgrace" and was "messing up his life" and ordered Pte Williams to write letters of apology to Mr Brown and other guests.

Capt Davis told the court that 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 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'."

He 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 out of breath when he arrived.

Capt Davis then ordered Cpl Edwards to take Pte Williams away.

Rude treatment

Capt Davis said: "I told him to take him away and that he's got some letters to do for me and that was it."

He said he did not know that Pte Williams was then subjected to the alleged "beasting" and had only heard him being marched off quickly.

Capt Davis said that Pte Williams should not have been punished in this way for the rude treatment of his guests.

Capt Davis told the court 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.

The trial continues at Winchester Crown Court.