Crown Prosecution Service reviews evidence of alleged misconduct at Deepcut Barracks

Prosecutors are examining “complex” evidence that resulted from an investigation into alleged misconduct at an army barracks where five soldiers lost their lives. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed it “received a file of evidence from Surrey Police” concerning Deepcut Barracks, located in Surrey. The CPS stated that it could not provide a timeline for a decision to be reached after the investigation into “misconduct in a public office”. The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for a statement. Privates Sean Benton, Cheryl James, Geoff Gray, and James Collinson were found to have died from gunshot wounds between 1995 and 2002. Additionally, Soldier Anthony Bartlett’s death was recorded after a suspected overdose in July 2001. The Army had previously maintained that the four deaths by gunshot wound at the Princess Royal Barracks were suicides, a conclusion disputed by their families. A debate ensued in the years after the Deepcut deaths regarding the causes of the four privates’ fatalities, all of which occurred under comparable conditions. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had previously indicated that Pte Bartlett’s situation was investigated by law enforcement and determined to be an accidental death by the coroner.