Army trainers attacked recruits

The six-day military trial was held at Catterick Garrison

Two Army training instructors have been found guilty of ill-treating young recruits at a base in North Yorkshire.

Corporals Christopher Jakeman and Stuart Pagett attacked soldiers who made mistakes at Catterick Garrison, a military panel heard.

Pagett was found guilty of two charges of ill-treatment and Jakeman was convicted of one ill-treatment charge.

Pagett, 25, who has left the Army, was fined £1,200. Jakeman, 28, of 2nd Battalion The Rifles, was fined £600.

Pagett was convicted of attacking Rifleman Derek Antwi-Boasiako in a toilet after the young soldier tapped him on the shoulder, mistakenly believing him to be a fellow recruit.

This kind of conduct is not acceptable within the Army and particularly not within a training environment Assistant Judge Advocate General Paul Camp

The former corporal, who is now self-employed in the security industry, was also found guilty of kicking Rifleman Thomas Pearson, who has also since left the Army, in the ribs and head for falling behind in a steeplechase exercise.

Jakeman was convicted of pushing Mr Pearson's head against a door frame.

Assistant Judge Advocate General Paul Camp said he was satisfied the incidents were not "systematic bullying".

Sentencing the pair, Judge Camp said they had abused their positions as instructors, who he said are seen as "gods" to young soldiers.

He said: "We want to make it clear that this kind of conduct is not acceptable within the Army and particularly not within a training environment when there is a particularly high duty of care to these young and often vulnerable soldiers."

The judge said the court martial board did not think Jakeman should undertake a training role until it was satisfied he was not a risk.

Formally cleared

In mitigation, barrister David Ward said Army training instructors faced "extreme pressure" knowing the soldiers they train will be going to war.

He said: "Sometimes [they] overstep the mark.

"It's extremely difficult, but their aim is to make better soldiers who go into the battalion, who have some chance of survival in the plains or the mountains in Afghanistan or Iraq, and some chance of ensuring the survival of those who he works alongside."

Last week, a judge ordered the pair to be formally cleared of charges of mistreating the recruits by assaulting them.