The inquest at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court heard George, from Durham, was standing by the open rear door of a Warrior on 21 June 2022 during Exercise Combat Spirit when the exercise commander gave the order to reverse the vehicle. He died at the scene near Everleigh from multiple traumatic injuries after struggling with a piece of "snagged" kit as he left the vehicle.
Recording a narrative conclusion, Coroner Ian Singleton said the training of the student commander who gave the command had been flawed. The inquest was told an alarm on the Warrior had been faulty since 2018 and had not been repaired despite being reported. Lt Col Graham Watson, who led a service inquiry into the incident, told the inquest that if the alarm had not been faulty, "the built in alarm would have alarmed because the rear doors were open, and had that gone off the driver would have almost certainly stopped." Singleton said there had been no effective regime for maintaining the vehicle, which was not routinely used for disembarking troops.
Brigadier Giles Malec, head of the Army Safety Group, said the service recognised "the seriousness of the failures which led to Max's tragic death" and would "look to rectify any additional failures identified." He apologised to the family on the second day of the inquest. The Ministry of Defence said it had already made several safety improvements: Warrior vehicles are no longer allowed to reverse with the rear door open, and visual checks are required before any movement. It said it was set to replace its entire Warrior fleet from 2027.
Victoria Neale, who represented George's family, said the inquest provided his loved ones with "important answers" and a "degree of accountability." "Whilst nothing can undo the family's loss, it is hoped that these measures, if implemented and adhered to, will reduce the risk of a similar tragedy occurring in the future," she said. Singleton said he would decide whether to issue a prevention of future deaths note at a later date.
George had been head boy at Durham School, studied Russian at Newcastle University, and earned the Queen's Medal for best cadet when he passed out from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. His commanding officer, Lt Col Jim Hadfield OBE, described him as "a star that burned bright" with "selfless compassion."