Health and Safety Executive issues Crown Censure over death of soldier at Catterick

Army bosses have admitted they "didn’t do enough" to protect a solider who was killed in a vehicle crash at the country's largest garrison.

Staff Sergeant John McKelvie was killed after the Jackal vehicle he was driving rolled multiple times down a steep hill at Catterick Garrison in January 2019.

At the time of the incident, the 51-year-old had been taking part in training on land nicknamed The Land of Nod during which his vehicle lost traction and rolled backwards.

He sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to hospital, where he died six days later.

On Thursday the Health and Safety Executive said it had issued the Ministry of Defence with a Crown Censure - the maximum penalty it can impose on a government body.

Army spokesman General Roly Walker said he accepted the findings, adding: "I apologise unreservedly for failing to maintain the safety standards rightly expected of the British Army.

"Staff Sergeant John McKelvie died because we didn’t do enough to protect him from the risk of death."

The HSE found risk assessments at Catterick were "not suitable and sufficient".

It said the training course Mr McKelvie was on involved hazardous activities and the risk of the vehicle rolling.

It did not find the activity itself should have been stopped, but described what it called a "failure in oversight" and said the "course programme devised progressed too quickly and prevented trainees from developing the necessary expertise and skills".

General Walker added: "We failed John and I am so sorry. We are committed to learning and adapting, so this never happens to another family, another regiment, or another group of friends."

Mr McKelvie's sister Jacqueline Welsh said “John was a very outgoing person who loved spending time with his family. He was always there for you whenever you needed him. He loved his motorbike, and he loved sport and the outdoors. He was full of action!”

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