Sister of Deepcut soldier: ‘It’s time for the truth about our brother’
THE sister of a soldier who died in unexplained circumstances at the Deepcut barracks has spoken of her regret that her mother is not alive to witness a second inquest into his death, which starts on Wednesday.
Tracy Lewis (L), the sister of Private Sean Benton
Private Sean Benton, from Hastings, East Sussex, died aged 20 in 1995 from five gunshot wounds to his chest at the barracks near Woking, Surrey.
His parents Harry and Linda never believed he killed himself and fought tirelessly to find out the truth from the British Army.
Harry died in 2011 and Linda in 2015.
Sean’s older sister Tracy Lewis said: “The day Sean died a light went out for mum. She was never the same. We lost her that dreadful day. Up to the day she died she wondered if she would ever know the truth.”
Private Sean Benton's twin brother Tony Benton and sister Tracy Lewis leave the High Court
The day Sean died a light went out for mum
The inquest at Woking Coroner’s Court is expected to last two months and hear from 150 witnesses.
Sean was the first of four soldiers to die of gunshot wounds at the barracks between 1995 and 2002.
Sean’s lawyers say there are claims he had endured physical and psychological bullying at Deepcut.