AN Army recruit was punched “everywhere but the face” after tapping an instructor on the shoulder, a court martial heard.

Training instructors are appearing at a court martial accused of bullying and ill-treating young trainees at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.

The charges include kicking a recruit in the head and ribs, kneeing one in the groin and grabbing one by the throat.

Former Corporal Stuart Pagett and Corporal Christopher Jakeman, of the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, are accused of mistreating three recruits.

A third instructor, Colour Sergeant Michael Hetherington, of the 1st Battalion The Rifles, faces two charges of neglecting to perform a formal duty for not reporting the incidents.

The military court in Catterick heard that recruits former Rifleman Thomas Pearson, Kingsman Matthew Lucas and Rifleman Derek Antwi-Boasiako were subjected to “bullying” behaviour by the non-commissioned officers.

Major William Peters, prosecuting, said Mr Pagett, who has since left the Army, was accused of attacking Rfn Antwi-Boasiako in a toilet after the young soldier had tapped him on the shoulder during a circuit training exercise, mistakenly believing him to be a fellow recruit.

“I told him I was sorry and I didn’t realise it was him,”

Rfn Antwi-Boasiako told the court.

“He punched me everywhere apart from my face. He punched the whole of my body – my stomach, my shoulders and my ribs.”

The rifleman said he delayed reporting the incident for fear of repercussions.

Under cross-examination, the recruit denied he had invented the beating in order to avoid being transferred to Mr Pagett’s training unit.

Mr Pagett is also accused of punching Mr Pearson, who has since left the Army, as a punishment for finding his locker untidy during a room inspection.

He also kicked him in the ribs and head for falling behind in a steeplechase exercise, the court heard.

Cpl Jakeman is accused of mistreating the same recruit by kneeing him in the groin, throwing him to the floor, and grabbing him by the throat as a punishment for forgetting his combat armour.

On another occasion, he pushed his head against a doorframe, Major Peters told the hearing.

Major Peters told the court: “What makes these incidents serious is not the level of injuries, but the fact that they occurred in a training organisation, and were carried out by non-commissioned officers who had a general duty to train the recruits to the right standard using recognised methods.”

The three instructors deny ten charges between them covering a period between October 2007 and January last year. The case continues.