Soldier's widow aims to 'move on'

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The widow of a UK soldier killed by "friendly fire" in Iraq has said she is ready to move forward after waiting four years for a verdict on his death.

Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull, 25, died near Basra in March 2003 when a US pilot fired on his tank convoy.

A coroner said his death was an unlawful and criminal act - the "right verdict", according to Susan Hull.

But the US State Department rejected the conclusion, saying it was a "tragedy" during a time of war.

L/Cpl Hull had been travelling in a convoy of light-armoured vehicles when it was attacked by a US A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft.

Speaking after the narrative verdict was given, Mrs Hull said: "I think all of our family feel it was the right verdict. It was what we'd waited four years to hear.

"It's been a long and painful time and we need to move forward."

<a class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6441955.stm">How pilots fired on 'friendlies'</a> <a class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6458567.stm">Finding solace after long wait</a>

Oxford assistant deputy coroner Andrew Walker described her husband's death as "entirely avoidable".

"It was unlawful because there was no lawful reason for it and in that respect it was criminal," he said.

The US pilots from the Idaho Air National Guard should have flown lower to confirm identities before opening fire, he added.

But US spokesman Sean McCormack said: "What we have here is a tragedy that occurred during a time of war.

"We certainly would not agree with any conclusion that categorised this as a criminal act."

Mrs Hull, an assistant head teacher, said she hoped the pilot and his wingman could move on as she would.

"I'm sure they are full of remorse for what they did, I hope so, anyway.

"Perhaps it sends a message to other pilots about how they need to be trained and the enormity of what they're doing in the sky because it can have grave consequences."

But Major General Patrick Cordingley, commander of the Desert Rats in the first Gulf War in 1991, told BBC Radio 4's World Tonight such fatalities were likely to continue to happen.

<a onClick="javascript:newsi.utils.av.launch({storyId:6440623, fileLoc: '/player/nol/newsid_6440000/newsid_6440600/', bbram: 1,nbram: 1,nbwm: 1,bbwm: 1});return false;" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6440000/newsid_6440600?redirect=6440623.stm&news=1&bbram=1&nbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1">The cockpit video</a> <a class="" href="/1/hi/england/6334231.stm">'Friendly fire' transcript</a>

The inquest into L/Cpl Hull's death drew attention worldwide after footage from the plane's cockpit was leaked to the Sun newspaper.

US authorities only agreed for it to be shown at the inquest after the leak.

The Ministry of Defence has since apologised for the delay in its release.

During the inquest, the coroner criticised the lack of co-operation from US authorities.

Constitutional affairs minister Harriet Harman, who met with US diplomats before the inquest, said she shared the "frustration" at their failure to send witnesses.

Human rights lawyer, Geoffrey Robertson QC, who represented the families of soldiers killed in the first Gulf War in 1991, said the pilots should have attended the hearing.

"I think if those pilots had had the decency to turn up to the inquest... and explained themselves... they would have been hugged and wept together with the families."

However, the Pentagon said the coroner was given access to most information from its own inquiry.