ARMY officers have denied knowledge of ‘beasting’ punishments, saying new rules empowered lower ranks to carry out disciplinary measures, an inquest has heard.

Giving evidence yesterday at the inquest into Tidworth soldier Gavin Williams, Major Mark Harris said the military guidelines which came into force in February 2005 were “fully implemented”.

Known as AGAI 67, the rules made the intense physical exercise sessions illegal while formalising the punishment system within the military by requiring paperwork for each punishment issued.

Speaking to Major Harris, the company commander of Support Company in 2006, coroner Alan Large said: “A man in your Company finds himself that morning on 3 July 2006 being marched until he is, according to the man who is marching him, exhausted.

"He is then marched to a gym until he complained he cant go on, he’s then taken back through camp exercising with a blue weights bag by the Staff Sergeant PTI.

“The Provost Sergeant, Provost Corporal and two other PTI Corporals were aware of a significant amount or all of that happening, and it happened, except for the gym, in full view of anyone that happened to be there. A lot of soldiers saw it. A Warrant Officer saw it. A Staff Sergeant has a recollection.

“How does that very public session by those people who were quite key players in 2 Royal Welsh happen when everything as far as you are concerned, as company commander, is tickety-boo?"

Major Harris, who said he had not seen Pte Williams' 'beasting', said when the new discipline system of AGAI 67 (Army General Administrative Instruction 67) came in, the authority to issue "suitable" punishments for minor sanctions devolved to the lower ranks and left those higher up with a more 'hands off approach'.

He said: "I think pretty much anyone with rank had authority to issue some punishment.

"Not having known what crime or breach of military discipline had occurred prior to the punishment being issued then you are not going to know these things until it is reported to the chain of command, "There is a lot of people in my company, in the battalion and there are other battalions that use that road [where Pte Williams was put through the quick marching exercise].

"Quite a high volume move in and around Tidworth. Unless you get it reported or you happen to be passing you are probably not going to find out until it's happened.

"I think it's going on as it should because the lower ranks have the authority to issue punishments for minor sanctions, it goes through the chain of command, is written in the AGAI book which I inspect and sign once a week sat in an office."

Questioned on the unlawful, undocumented physical punishments, Major Harris said it was unlikely they would be reported to him due to his power to hand out significant punishments such as taking a month's pay off the soldier or sending them to Colchester Corrective Training Centre in a formal discipline process.

Asked about what should have happened once a sergeant had heard about one of his men undergoing an unofficial 'beasting' punishment, he said he would expect the sergeant to carry out investigations and "in an ideal world, it should be reported up".

However, he admitted a sergeant may take the decision that the problem had been sorted out and there was no paper work.

When questioned by the coroner on whether he should sense a reluctance for a sergeant to 'grass up' his mess mates - the provost sergeant and staff sergeant, Major Harris said: "I think potentially but it should be taken in the right way. The military asks a lot of its people on operations and sometimes in barracks in terms of commitment.

"In order to achieve this, there is a loyalty system that develops. People talk about regimental loyalty, loyalty to your section platoon but there's also loyalty across messes as you would expect and maybe people misplace that loyalty and perhaps try and sort things out in other ways.

"That should not have happened in this case, if it did happen at all, but it's what underpins the military. I don't think it should come as a particular surprise. It's how the military functions - it's not a complete vertical chain of command. There is a chain of command but within that it's very complex, very hierarchical. It could be described as partially tribal so to have a rank potentially not wanting to report up or down something which has happened would be understandable. Not necessarily correct in all instances but understandable.

"On paper that detailed interface between all these different parts of the organisation looks very clear cut but it has been developed by an organisation which is to live in combat effectiveness.

"That straightened-down pyramid doesn't always go hand-in-hand with combat effectiveness and what happens in war and on operations.

"There is a difference in relationships - these people live together, fight together and possibly do worse - and that does say something about the complexity of the organisation you are trying to find out these questions from.

"The short answer is, yes, it is deceitful that people in the organisation - that doesn't necessarily fit into the hierarchical rank structure - may well effectively do their own thing, have their own little tribe or grouping."

Major Harris said he believed soldiers who were unable to modernise with the army and its updated discipline systems were "thinning out" but may still have had a presence and may have put pressure on the 'new blood' not to take appropriate action.

He said had he seen Pte William's 'beasting', his instinct would have been that somebody was being punished "within the system", admitting he might have seen it as a "snapshot and not really seen what was going on".

He said: "It's not uncommon in life to view a scene and not actually see what's happening. I think that would be something in an active organisation, which we were. "Things would just be lost in the noise."

Major Harris, who left the army in 2013, said he had "no recollection" of 'beastings' going on after the new discipline system came into force.

On Friday, at Salisbury Coroner's Court, Pte William's Company Sergeant Major also gave evidence.

David Rees told the inquest when he first heard Pte Williams had been marched by RP staff and taken to the gym by PTI staff as part of a punishment on July 3, 2006, he was "annoyed".

He said: "I don't think it fitted the crime. I heard about it after he had been taken ill. There was no common sense. It was hot. Why would you do that?

"I had served in hot countries, I was aware of what heat illnesses are.

"It made no sense whatsoever."

He said he did not believe 'beastings' were part of punishments at the time, adding: "I know they were marched from here to there at double quick time but I wouldn't say that was part of the punishment. I would certainly never send them to the gym for a punishment."

He told the court AGAI 67 came in "overnight" and that although when he joined the army and served in West Germany, beastings were common place, the punishment system evolved as the army "got busier" and to "suit the times".

He said he had no knowledge of illegal punishments being carried out by Provost or PTI staff and was was led to believe all punishments were documented.

He said he did not know why he, or the chain of command, had not known about the 'beastings' being carried out after AGAI came into force.

He expressed surprise that company sergeant majors may have called PTIs to conduct a fitness session as a punishment, saying he did not know why they needed PT to bring a soldier into line.

Asked by coroner Large: "Did you ever pick it up during chats with the lads when you're out in the field, or down the ranges or in the gym or on a run that one of your lads had been 'beasted' by the RPs or PTIs?

Sgt Maj Rees replied: "Not that I recall."

Sgt Maj Rees, who left the army in 2011, dismissed any alleged ties of loyalty to his former colleagues, adding: "Loyalty is loyalty and there is right and wrong."

Pte Williams of Hengoed, Caerphilly, died at Salisbury District Hospital on July 3, 2006.

Based at Lucknow Barracks with the 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh, he had undergone the 'beasting' punishment on one of the hottest days of the year.

Test showed his body temperature was 41.7C, above the norm of 37C. Tests later showed he had ecstasy in his body when he died.

In July 2008, Sgt Russell Price, SSgt Paul Blake and Cpl John Edwards were cleared of the manslaughter of Pte Williams by a jury at Winchester Crown Court.

The inquest is about to enter its fifth week.