Corporal obeyed 'beasting' order

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An army corporal said he was "only obeying orders" over a "beasting" punishment of a soldier in Wiltshire.

Pte Gavin Williams, 22, died at Lucknow Barracks in Tidworth, after an intense marching and training session, Winchester Crown Court has heard.

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

The court heard that Pte Williams was in trouble for drunken behaviour.

Pte Williams had been aggressive and let off a fire extinguisher at Daniel Brown, a guest of Capt Mark Davis, at a weekend regimental ball on 1 July 2006.

Capt Davis said he had come to work on the Monday morning intent on disciplining Pte Williams. You do not ask captains and seniors why, you just say ok Cpl John Edwards

Cpl Edwards told the court Capt Davis ordered him to bring Pte Williams to his office "panting like a dog", which he understood was to mean he should be marched as a punishment or "beasting".

Cpl Edwards, said: "I am not naive, I know the non-commissioned officers (NCO) use the regimental police as people to give punishments".

"You do not ask captains and seniors why, you just say ok," he added.

Punishment 'commonplace'

Cpl Edwards said Sgt Price had instructed him to drill Pte Williams around the camp and marched Pte Williams at a "quick pace", but decided to shorten the route because of the heat.

Cpl Edwards said Pte Williams began to complain but was not actually sick. He said he saw no signs of Pte Williams being particularly unwell and said it was not unusual for a soldier undergoing a quick march to complain or to retch.

He added that it was commonplace for the regimental police to march soldiers who had been "naughty boys" as an informal form of punishment.

He said: "We are just the people doing the job that the NCOs ask us to do - the chain of command."

Pte Williams was taken to physical training instructor Sgt Blake after marching, for intense physical exercise. The court heard Pte Williams later collapsed from overheating and died.

The trial continues.