Soldier died after drinking ’16 shots in 30 minutes’

A young soldier died after being forced to drink 16 shots of spirits in just half-an-hour at his leaving party, an inquest heard.Andrew Murgatroyd, who was said to drink rarely, passed out and choked on his own vomit after downing two glasses containing eight shots each.The drinks were dubbed ‘top shelf’ as they contained a measure from every bottle along the Army bar.The 21-year-old’s wife, Shawni, said she was so worried she offered to down the second cocktail herself but was not allowed to.Neither his colleagues nor bar staff were aware that ‘top shelf’ cocktails had been banned. Pte Murgatroyd’s death at Buckley Barracks in Hullavington, Wiltshire, prompted the coroner to challenge defence secretary Philip Hammond to act.Swindon and Wiltshire coroner Ian Singleton said: ‘I am concerned that a culture appears to exist to ply someone with alcohol and I am concerned that culture is not isolated to Buckley Barracks.’Pte Murgatroyd died in February as he celebrated a new posting. Apart from the cocktails, he was made to stand on a chair and sink two cans of lager. He passed out on a sofa in the junior ratings’ mess bar but when his colleagues took him home to bed they realised he had stopped breathing.Private contractor Elior, which ran the bar, had not been told the drinks were banned under Army regulations.Commanding officer Maj Timothy Parkes, from the Royal Logistics Corps, said: ‘Top shelves have been frowned upon in the Army for the last 20 to 25 years. I can only say sorry to the family for what has gone wrong.‘I wish I could turn the clock back.’(metro.co.uk)ANN.Az