The family of Staff Sgt John McKelvie has accused the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of failing the soldier, who died during a training exercise. An inquest into the incident, which occurred at Catterick Garrison in January 2019, concluded that a lack of supervision by chain of command and inadequate safety enforcement contributed to Sgt McKelvie’s death. The inquest also found that the armoured Supacat Jackal he was driving was unsuitable for the terrain, and that Sgt McKelvie, who was being instructed, was inexperienced in the vehicle. The soldier died from a brain injury after the Jackal rolled down a hill.
The inquiry heard that the MoD was aware of the vehicle’s problems, which were first discovered nine years before the crash, with a test in 2010 highlighting issues over the vehicle’s stability and the protection afforded to taller drivers if it rolled over. Despite this, the inquiry found that “no evidence of anything being done” was present. 40 rollover incidents were later recorded, three of which were serious.
Members of Sgt McKelvie’s family were present at the inquest, with his sister Jackie describing the MoD’s failings as exposed. The soldier had completed tours in Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq and was described as a “happy-go-lucky” character. His family found it difficult to process that he had died at home on a training ground, “where he should have been safe”. Following the jury’s verdict, his sister expressed satisfaction at the outcome, after a wait of over five years.
The inquest was told that the service inquiry into the incident had a “fundamental impact” on the Army, with the MoD revising its systems and policy to prevent the incident’s recurrence. Col Graham Shannon, a British Army risk adviser, assured the family that there would be no further missed learning opportunities
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