'WE'D RATHER DIE THAN GO BACK' Awol pair find help from 'beasting' victim's mother.

Byline: Ben Glaze

TWO Awol soldiers who fled their army base and are yet to return last night declared: "We'd rather die than go back."

Privates Andrew Jones and Andre Treble, both 22, of 9 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps, went on the run from Buckley Barracks in Hullavington, Wiltshire, three weeks ago claiming punishment exercises, known as beastings, were "unbearable".

Last Wednesday they met an Army welf are officer and agreed to consider returning 24 hours later, but never arrived.

Pte Jones' mother Anne Evans, of Aberdare, has publicly accused the pair of lying to her, saying: "They're stupid because things could have worked for them rather than against them.

"They are making a mockery of everybody trying to help them and throwing it back in everyone's faces. They need to act like adults. The boys went behind all our backs and did what they wanted."

Speaking to the Echo yesterday at their Valleys safe-house, the broke pair revealed how they:

Tried gassing themselves in a car; found help from Debra Williams, mum of Private Gavin Williams who died after an Army beasting; were astonished and hurt at Pte Jones' mother's outburst; and would kill themselves rather than return.

The pair spent their first 10 days on the run staying in guest houses to evade the Royal Military Police.

Six nights after fleeing, they watched the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in Preston - where they agreed a suicide pact.

Pte Jones said: "I said to Andre, 'This isn't looking good for us. We'll do everything it takes not to go back.' "We looked at each other and thought the same thing: 'Why not?'"

They then drove Pte Jones' mother's Ford Focus to a remote Lancashire beauty spot where they tried to kill themselves.

They wrote a suicide note and Pte Jones texted his wife of seven months, 27-year-old Clair, who has a 10-year-old daughter, Courtenay, saying: "Goodbye, I love you."

But the pair survived the attempt, saying they were "gutted" it had not worked.

They decided to call Debra after hearing about her campaign to root out Army beastings.

Pte Treble said: "We spoke about what happened to Gavin and we're concerned it will repeat itself.

"One of the reasons Gavin got beasted is because he went Awol for a week. We've been Awol three weeks and got the papers involved, so what's coming to us?

"Debra has helped us more than my mum ever would."

Speaking on Mothers' Day, Pte Jones revealed his shock at his mum's verbal attack.

He said: "I'm so angry withher.

It's all right for her to call us 'cowards', but she hasn't gone through what we have, she doesn't know what it's like.

"What person wants their mother to slag them off publicly?

I trust Debra more than my own mother."

He said his mother was initially supportive but her mood changed last week.

"The first day we went Awol we went to my mum's so we could sort things out. She told us we were 'more than welcome'," said Pte Jones.

"She was with us at first, but now she's trying to drag us back to camp. She's been brainwashed by the Army.

"I'm disgusted with her for accusing us of lying. We didn't lie to her at all.

"We told her we would keep our options open; we never said we were going back.

"It feels like my family don't care about our welfare problems."

Pte Treble, who came to the UK from South Africa in 2002 and fears deportation if he is arrested, said: "We don't care what people think.

"Bullying and beasting are despicable and shouldn't happen."

Pte Treble, who said he has slit his wrists twice in eight months, claimed the worst beasting he suffered was when he was forced to play football for 40 minutes wearing a nuclear, biological and chemical protection suit, including a gas mask.

He also said he was routinely kicked and prodded with a stick.

Pte Treble said: "I joined the Army to 'be the best'. I didn't want to get involved in crime and drugs.

"I wanted to travel the world and fight for a country that's not even mine.

"We've lost our careers, we've got no plans and we have nothing.

"We're so worried about being caught, we're constantly looking over our shoulders.

"Every knock at the door we jump under a chair."

Pte Jones claimed: "I would rather jump in front of a train than go back."

His friend added: "We didn't go Awol because we wanted an ice cream; it was because things had got so out of hand.

"The only way they'll get me back is in a very strong pair of shackles."

CAPTION(S):

Private Andrew Jones and Private Andre Treble are gaining comfort and help from beasting-death soldier's mum Debra Williams Picture: Liz Pearce