Recruit 'was pushing gun away'

Clockwise from top left: Sean Benton, James Collinson, Geoff Gray and Cheryl James

One of four soldiers who died at Deepcut Barracks was trying to push the gun away from her face when she was shot, a report has found.

New details of the independent investigation by ballistics expert Frank Swann have emerged after the families of the recruits were shown the full report.

Sean Benton, 20, Cheryl James, 18, Geoff Gray, 17 and James Collinson, 17, all died from gunshot wounds at the Surrey base over a period of seven years.

Mr Swann, who was hired by the soldiers' families, said earlier this year he did not believe at least three of the four recruits had killed themselves.

It is my expert opinion based on the evidence, the nature of the wounds and the tests and experiments I carried out that Private Cheryl James did not self-inflict the bullet wound that killed her Investigator Frank Swann

But it was revealed on Wednesday that according to his findings, Miss James, from Llangollen, north Wales, was actually trying to push the gun away from her face when she was shot.

Mr Swann said: "It is my expert opinion based on the evidence, the nature of the wounds and the tests and experiments I carried out that Private Cheryl James did not self-inflict the bullet wound that killed her."

His report also finds it would have been physically impossible for Mr Benton, from Hastings, East Sussex, and Mr Gray, from Seaham, County Durham, to inflict their injuries on themselves.

Mr Benton died from five gunshot wounds in 1995.

'Unanswered questions'

His findings on the death of Mr Collinson, from Perth, Scotland, were inconclusive.

Surrey Police published a report in September which said there was no evidence of foul play in the four deaths.

The Ministry of Defence has always maintained the four soldiers committed suicide but their families have never accepted this.

Miss James' father Des said: "There are so many unanswered questions for our family and until we have them answered we cannot put this behind us.

"This is the first expert witness who has told me that Cheryl's death was not self-inflicted.

"But the police say there were no third parties involved. It just does not make sense."

He said the report's findings made the case for a public inquiry even stronger.

It has now been passed to the Surrey Coroner.