Recruit death 'avoidable' jury told

Kevin Sharman was a non-swimmer, according to Army records

A caving accident in which an Army recruit died could have been avoided, a military expert has told a court.

Kevin Sharman, 17, who was unable to swim drowned as he was led through the deep waters of a partially submerged tunnel in the Brecon Beacons.

Instructor Matthew Doubtfire, 33, of Monmouth, south Wales, denies a charge of manslaughter through gross negligence.

Swansea Crown Court has heard how the teenager, from Marlpool in Derbyshire, died while on the first day of a week-long course in July 2002.

The recruits had travelled from a training college in Reading to spend the week based at Sennybridge in Powys, for a course run by civilian staff employed by the MoD.

Experienced caver Matthew Doubtfire denies manslaughter

Giving evidence on Thursday, retired lieutenant colonel John Adams - who investigated the incident - told the court he identified measures which might have meant that the accident was avoidable.

The jury had previously heard that Mr Doubtfire claimed he got lost at the beginning of the outing into the Porth-yr-Ogof cave complex in the Neath Valley.

Leading a group of 11 recruits, he says he unwittingly led them towards the deepwater resurgence pool where Mr Sharman lost his life, as others had done in the past.

Mr Adams - who works for the Ministry of Defence - told the court that, as a known non-swimmer, the teenager had been taken out of his depth.

"A person is only as safe as his capabilities," he said.

"None of the students were qualified or experienced or mature, therefore they were totally dependent on their instructor to guide them safely through the cave system," he added.

Mr Adams also said that the equipment used was not suitable for crossing deep water.

"Had the instructor stopped as soon as the water had reached chest level, and had the clothing the students were wearing not become waterlogged, then this accident would have been avoided," he added.

Because the group was on an introductory caving experience, Mr Adams said the maximum safe number of participants would have been 10, with a leader and a deputy leader.

And, he added, had that rule had been followed, the leader or deputy leader might have been able to take control, and the accident might never have happened.

The court was also told there should have been an assessment prohibiting non-swimmers being taken into water of unknown depth and that recruits should also have been wearing wetsuits or using buoyancy aids.

The hearing continues.