A PRIVATE who died while on guard duty was armed with a rifle, an inquest has heard. 

Private Darren Leslie, 28, was found dead at St David's barracks at Graven Hill, Bicester last Friday. 

An inquest into his death was opened at Oxford Coroner's Court today.

Coroner Darren Salter said private Leslie had been assigned guard duty on the day of his death and had been given a rifle.

The inquest heard that a post mortem showed he died of a gunshot wound.

Private Leslie was a driver in the Royal Logistics Corps. He lived in Newtonabbey in Northern Ireland.

The inquest will resume on February 9.

After completing his training in 2012, Pt Leslie deployed with the regiment to Afghanistan in April 2014, where he worked in the Theatre Logistic Group based in Camp Bastion. As part of the team that oversaw the drawdown of forces in Afghanistan, he helped recover British Military vehicles and equipment back to the UK and was awarded the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan.

Major Rob Amor, Officer Commanding 2 Close Support Squadron RLC, previously said: “His cheerful, humorous character made him extremely popular within the regiment and the squadron; always the first to volunteer for tasks, he took every opportunity the British Military had to offer.

“His sudden loss has come as a shock to all those who worked with him and he will be sorely missed.”

Pt Leslie leaves behind his parents, Karen and Billy, sister Natasha and brothers, Ryan and Lee.