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L/Cpl James Ashworth killed by his own grenade, inquest finds | |
(35 minutes later) | |
A soldier awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross was killed by his own grenade during an enemy attack in Afghanistan, an inquest has found. | |
L/Cpl James Ashworth, from Corby, Northants, was killed as he stormed an insurgent position in Nahr-e-Saraj in Helmand Province in June 2012. | |
The inquest ruled he was unlawfully killed when a shot hit his body armour, detonating a grenade he was carrying. | |
The 23-year-old was preparing to throw the grenade at an enemy sniper. | |
Anne Pember, the Northamptonshire Coroner, told the inquest at Kettering that a post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death as blast injuries caused by an explosion. | |
L/Cpl Ashworth, of 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, died as he crawled along ground being peppered with bullets to throw his last grenade at a sniper who had his team pinned down. | |
Speaking after the inquest, his mother Kerry said her son, only the second soldier to be awarded a VC for bravery in Afghanistan, had died doing the job he loved. | |
"His smile can light up any room he goes into and we all love and miss him so," she said. | |
"James passed away doing a job he loved. At times it was a hard job but he did get to experience new countries, learn new skills and make some wonderful friends. | |
"James will be forever be in our hearts, thoughts and prayers and we will never get over his passing. | |
"But we will stay strong together as a family and along with his friends we will remain positive and celebrate his life at every opportunity as I know that is what he would want us to do." |