Three soldiers were acquitted yesterday of the manslaughter of a 22-year-old army private who died of heatstroke after being ordered to carry out a punishment run on one of the hottest days of the year because of drunken behaviour.

Private Gavin Williams, of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh Regiment collapsed on July 3, 2006, after being put through an intensive session of exercise at his Wiltshire barracks, referred to in court as “beasting”.

Three non-commissioned officers (NCOs) — Provost Sergeant Russell Price, 46, of the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, and Sergeant Paul Blake, 37, and Corporal John Edwards, 33, both from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh Regiment — were all charged in connection with the death but were acquitted at Winchester Crown Court.

Mr Justice Royce criticised the Army for allowing “beasting” to take place. He was also critical that the three NCOs were in the dock while Captain Mark Davis, the adjutant of The Royal Welsh who ordered Private Williams to be brought to him “hot and sweaty”, was in the process of being promoted.

Debra Williams, the mother of Private Williams, broke down in tears and was unable to finish reading a statement she had prepared. Speaking on her behalf, Angie Carpenter, family liaison officer with Wiltshire Police, said: “We are devastated with the outcome of the verdict today. We owe it to Gavin that nobody else’s child goes through what happened to Gavin.”

The judge asked the jury to consider whether the three NCOs had been “hung out to dry” while Captain Davis was not prosecuted. He said: “The practice of beasting, which clearly falls outside appropriate military discipline, was going on openly and must have been known to senior officers.” Mr Justice Royce said: “Many will have found it unpalatable that the order from Captain Davis to bring this man to them ‘hot and sweaty’ was an order that the defendants found themselves having to comply with. Lessons have to be learnt from this case by the regiment and the Army.”

The court was told that there was likely to be an inquiry into the practice of beasting.

The fatal run took place at Lucknow Barracks at Tidworth in Wiltshire. Private Williams, from Hengoed in Mid Glamorgan, had returned to the barracks after an evening out and set off a fire extinguisher in the officers’ mess.

When he collapsed in temperatures of up to 28C (82F), his body temperature was 41.7C, compared with the norm of 37C. He also had Ecstasy in his body. Major-General Andrew Gregory, the Army’s Director-General Personnel, said: “The Army deeply regrets the death of Private Williams and my thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.” He said that a full investigation would take place.

— A soldier from the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment who was killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday has been named as Private Peter Cowton, 25, from Basingstoke.

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