where no holds are barred
I disagree, they have rules and regulations like the rest of the military. I've known a few to be RTU for various misdemeanours.
anyone been in the Sergeant’s Mess at Hereford
Yep, many times, more so in the OM albeit not recently.
What set of circumstances led to the quarters being searched in the first place?
A complaint to the police from the estranged wife of the other bloke he was sharing with, or at least that's what I gathered from stories various on the matter. So not such an interesting question.
Glad he got out, BTW, and the incident revealed a culture which had become the norm. They're professional soldiers, but their ankles aren't covered in angel dust.
Good luck to him and his family, his career from now on I suspect may be interesting.