General Sir Roly Walker KCB DSO ADC Gen, Chief of the General Staff, as Army Safety Owner and on behalf of the British Army, accepts the Health and Safety Executive Crown Censure issued today in relation to the death of Private Jethro Watson-Pickering, of 1st Battalion The Royal Yorkshire Regiment, on 15 October 2021.
"My thoughts are first and foremost with Jethro Watson-Pickering's family and friends. Jethro was just 23 years old when he died, with his whole life ahead of him. I am deeply sorry for their loss and for the Army's failings that contributed to his death.
“We fully accept the Health and Safety Executive's Crown Censure findings. We failed to properly assess and control the risks, failed in our training and instruction, and failed to provide a safe vehicle. Jethro should never have died. We failed him and those who loved him.
“We have made significant changes since his death to prevent such a tragedy happening again. But no change can undo what happened. Our responsibility is to make sure the lessons endure in how we train, lead and look after our people every day.
“I offer my sincere condolences to Jethro's family and friends. I know words cannot lessen their loss, but the Army remembers Jethro, accepts where we failed him, and will not forget the lessons of his death."
General Sir Roly Walker KCB DSO ADC Gen