MoD receives Crown Censure over soldier's death on Salisbury Plain
The Ministry of Defence has accepted a Crown Censure, an official reprimand from the Health and Safety Executive, after 23-year-old Private Jethro Watson-Pickering was killed during a training exercise on Salisbury Plain in October 2021. The HSE found the army had no safe system for driving the vehicle, and its risk assessments missed the danger of the turret turning unexpectedly. The MoD admitted breaching its duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
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What does it mean?
The army has been officially reprimanded for failing to keep a soldier safe during a training exercise. The regulator says the vehicle training setup did not protect the driver from a turret that could turn suddenly, and the Ministry of Defence has accepted this finding. A Crown Censure carries no fine, but it becomes a permanent public record.
Who is affected?
The family and friends of Private Jethro Watson-Pickering, and soldiers who train in armoured vehicles.