A JUDGE has criticised the Army for not protecting a soldier shot dead by a North-East lance corporal who had been on an all-day drinking binge.

Justice McLaughlin said the Army was "institutionally wrong" to allow soldiers to drink heavily while having easy access to firearms.

His spoke out after jailing John Michael Smith, of Hartlepool, for 18 months for the manslaughter of Dean Troy Eddy.

The lance corporal, who had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, shot and killed 21-year-old Guardsman Eddy on August 13 last year, after a heavy drinking session at Shackleton Barracks, Ballykelly, Northern Ireland, where both soldiers were based.

Londonderry Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, heard that on the day of the shooting Smith, a Green Howard, had drunk five cans of lager in his room.

Then he went to the Naafi, where he was said to have had five pints of lager and two vodka drinks.

Witnesses described the 26-year-old as being in a "hyper mood" moments before he grabbed a gun from a soldier on guard duty and fired the weapon, fatally wounding Mr Eddy.

The judge said it was unacceptable that soldiers were allowed to binge drink on the base and called for tougher measures to curb drinking.

He said: "There is obviously something not right about young men, who are totally disciplined, just going on a drinking binge and doing it in an Army barracks. There is something institutionally wrong about that."

He added: "I think the public are entitled to expect that a line should be drawn somewhere.

"I think Mr Eddy's family might have expected their son to be better protected than that.

"Being fuelled up with alcohol is not a very nice recipe, and bringing them into close proximity to firearms is even less acceptable."

Patrick Lyttle, defending, said that the incident had been horse- play and Smith had not intended to kill his colleague.

He said: "On behalf of my client, I would acknowledge his deep regret and bitter remorse at this tragic shooting."

Smith was jailed for 18 months, but could be freed in days after the judge ordered the prison governor to take into account his nine months detention at an Army barracks before setting his release date.

Mr Eddy's family, of Bedford Terrace, Billingham, Teesside, attended the court hearing, but declined to comment.