THERE were delays in treating a young soldier for heatstroke after he was subjected to a "beasting", an inquest has heard.

Dr Justin Hammond, a former Army doctor, said there was a "poor passage of information" to doctors about Private Gavin Williams and led to him initially being treated for a psychiatric episode rather than heatstroke when he was beasted on one of the hottest days of the year.

Pte Williams, of 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh, was taken to the medical centre at Lucknow Barracks in Tidworth, Wiltshire after being put through the physical exercise on Monday July 3 2006 to punish him for disobedience and a series of drunken high jinx.

The 22-year-old soldier, from Hengoed in South Wales, was later taken by ambulance to Salisbury District Hospital with a body temperature of 41.7C, way above the norm of 37C. Tests showed he had ecstasy in his body when he died.

Three non-commissioned officers, Sergeant Russell Price, of 2 Rifles, Sergeant Paul Blake, and Corporal John Edwards, both from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh - who carried out the punishment - were cleared of manslaughter at Winchester Crown Court in 2008.

Cpl Edwards previously told the inquest he had been asked to deliver Pte Williams "panting like a dog" to battalion adjutant Captain Mark Davis, who is now a lieutenant colonel.

The soldier later complained of stomach ache, was suffering from diarrhoea and was visibly shaking before he was taken to the medical centre.

While there, he became increasingly agitated and aggressive with medical orderly Private Simon Day, which led to him being restrained and handcuffed.

Staff also did not take his temperature and neither did the attending paramedics when they were called.

The inquest at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court has previously heard there was a 40-minute gap between Pte Williams's collapse and him arriving at the hospital.

The soldier was admitted to the A&E department without any medical notes and doctors were not told he had been subjected to heavy exercise that day.

Dr Hammond, who is now a London-based GP, said that Pte Williams was exhibiting visible signs of psychosis, so it was not an unreasonable conclusion for the treating doctor, Captain Mark Darbyshire, to draw without prior knowledge of the "beasting".

"My impression is that the personnel involved acted in a manner I would have expected them to behave according to their rank, training and Army structure," Dr Hammond said.

"This was not an unconventional series of events.

"I think the diagnosis was delayed because of the poor passage of information from those that had been supervising the exercise to Sgt Julian Cannings, who I do not think instructed Pte Day and he didn't pass on Dr Rowena French's instructions about the need for a temperature check.

"Dr Darbyshire made reasonable decisions and took reasonable steps to make a diagnosis based on the information he had.

"I believe there was also a lack of passage of information to the hospital once Gavin's care had been taken over by the ambulance crew."

The inquest previously heard Pte Williams had been out drinking heavily with colleagues on the Friday and Saturday nights before his death.

Witnesses said Pte Williams was behaving on Friday night as if he had taken ecstasy, telling one soldier he had already swallowed seven pills as he washed two more down with lager.

Following the second night, there was an incident at the barracks with a fire extinguisher in which Pte Williams sprayed guests of an officer with water.

Later that morning, he turned up unfit for guard duty wearing flip-flops, a pair of combat trousers and a vest, smelling of alcohol.

He was sent away to change into his uniform and told to report to his superiors on the Monday, the inquest previously heard.

The following day, he failed to report for guard duty and was found hiding in his bathroom, wearing just a pair of shorts.

He was taken to his superiors, where other soldiers overheard him being shouted at before he was seen being subjected to the "beasting", an informal Army punishment.

The inquest continues.