Private Geoff Gray, from Hackney, East London, joined the Army on January 2001 – his 17th birthday – fulfilling a childhood dream. Nine months later, on September 17, while on guard duty at Deepcut barracks, in Surrey, he was found dead with two bullet holes in his head.

His father, also Geoff, gave evidence without the help of lawyers after being told that he would not need representation.

The coroner stated he did not believe that the boy had taken his own life, as the Army had suggested, and the inquest returned an open verdict. Mr Gray said: “A bundle of papers was thrown into my hands and I was told, ‘You might need to read that’.”

The inquest hearing was “terrifying”, recalls Mr Gray, 45, also from Hackney.

“I am a caretaker, I sweep the streets and so on, and I was confronted with barristers and solicitors from the MoD.”

During the four-hour inquest he heard, for the first time, that someone was seen running from the scene of his son’s death.

“People in [our] situation need to have representation and good representation as well. It’s the one chance you have to find out how your son or daughter died.”

Explore Law

• Columnists

• Law Panel

• Law Reports

• Student Law

Times Recommends

• The best legal yarns this Christmas
• Legal school 'earned £1m by exploiting bar course'
• Axe may fall on 5,000 more City lawyers