Inquest held into death of West Sussex Army cadet Edward Milner

A coroner recorded a narrative conclusion after telling his family there was not enough evidence to conclude Edward Milner had taken his own life.

The 26-year-old from Bepton, near Midhurst, left home on May 6 this year to drive himself back to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for the first day of the new term.

The inquest in Horsham today heard the cadet was found with a fatal gunshot wound after reports of a car leaving the carriageway of the A286 near Midhurst.

His licensed shotgun was found wedged into the footwell on the driver’s side, between his legs, the inquest heard.

The car had rolled down a steep embankment and hit a tree when it was found.

It was heard Mr Milner had packed his shotgun with the intention of going clay pigeon shooting near Sandhurst.

Mr Milner had wanted to join the paratroopers or Irish Guards.

The inquest heard he struggled on a ten-day battle camp and failed to make the standard required and was filtered out of the selection process for his first-choice regiments.

His Sandhurst platoon commander Major Danielle Davis told the hearing she recommended retraining at the end of the second year.

Officer cadets finish the second term with two battle camp exercises involving sleeping rough on the Brecon Beacons.

“The ten-day battle camp did not go well for him,” the major said.

“My assessment of him as a soldier was very good.

“However, in the command appointments there was repeated struggle with him articulating himself well and problem solving in a demanding environment.

“While he did not perform to the standard, there was an improvement.”

Lieutenant Colonel Joe Big, head of training at Sandhurst, said: “Up until this point, it was felt there was enough evidence there to suggest he could still make it.”

From the 200 cadets in his cohort, 188 were offered their first-choice regiment.

The inquest heard Mr Milner had an interview scheduled with the Princess of Wales’s Regiment and the assumption was they should be willing to offer them a place, Lt Col Big said.

Mr Milner, who was an economics graduate, talented rugby player and boxer, was described by his fellow cadets as smiling and cheerful, highly valued, well-motivated and an excellent friend.

The inquest heard the Army had no concerns about his physical or mental health when he completed the second term or his training despite the setbacks he faced.

Horsham Coroner's Court (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

In a statement read out at the inquest, Mr Milner’s girlfriend Grace Bolton said they had been on a skiing holiday the week before and she noticed nothing wrong.

She told assistant coroner Joe Turner she had only ever heard positive things from him about Sandhurst.

She said they had been together for nearly six years and had lived together in Val D’Isere where she worked in a ski lodge.

"He was always a steady and cheery person,” said Ms Bolton.

Mr Turner in his conclusion said: “The facts are quite bare.

“We’ve heard he had a setback but equally, I’ve heard about his resilience.

“All he said about Sandhurst appears to have been measured and reasonable and he was taking everything in his stride.

“After the full 44 weeks, he would have reached the commissioning standard.

“He was feeling under some pressure but I don’t regard that as being out of the ordinary.

“There seems to be nothing out of the ordinary in his state of mind and nothing raised through the welfare system.

“There was nothing to raise at that time.”

The coroner said there were two significant matters to note in the circumstances of his death.

“The gunshot wound would have caused instantaneous fatal injury,” he said.

“It was wedged in.

“The car had left the road and struck a tree.

“This would have happened after he pulled over, the gun was fired, then car moved.

“There was no evidence of skidding.

“I find it truly remarkable and out of character he would not have mentioned it to anybody if he was not able to cope.

“It’s clear the shotgun was in a particular position, but we have no evidence of how that gun came to be there.”

The coroner concluded there was not enough evidence to conclude Mr Milner had taken his own life.

“All the evidence I’ve heard is contrary to that,” he said.

“I’m not satisfied the intention was there for suicide.”