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| Rogue Afghan policeman 'real champion' of coalition forces | Rogue Afghan policeman 'real champion' of coalition forces |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A rogue Afghan policeman who gunned down two British soldiers was a "real champion" of the partnership with coalition forces, an inquest has heard. | A rogue Afghan policeman who gunned down two British soldiers was a "real champion" of the partnership with coalition forces, an inquest has heard. |
| The man shot Sgt Gareth Thursby, 29, and Pte Thomas Wroe, 18, from 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, in Helmand Province on 15 September 2012. | The man shot Sgt Gareth Thursby, 29, and Pte Thomas Wroe, 18, from 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, in Helmand Province on 15 September 2012. |
| An inquest into their deaths, in Oxford, heard the officer opened fire on the soldiers at an army checkpoint. | |
| Both Sgt Thursby and Pte Wroe were left seriously injured and later died. | Both Sgt Thursby and Pte Wroe were left seriously injured and later died. |
| Another soldier, Pte Augustine Forkyo, was also injured, and is still recovering, the inquest heard. | Another soldier, Pte Augustine Forkyo, was also injured, and is still recovering, the inquest heard. |
| Accidentally fired | |
| Sgt Thursby, who was a father-of-two from Skipton, North Yorkshire, was promoted to sergeant in 2010, and had previously served in Kosovo and Iraq. | |
| Pte Wroe who was from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, joined the Army in 2010, and was deployed to Afghanistan in July 2012. | |
| Lt Callum Cameron, platoon commander of 3 Platoon, Alma Company, told the inquest the Afghan policeman who opened fire that day was based at a nearby checkpoint but was well known in the area. | Lt Callum Cameron, platoon commander of 3 Platoon, Alma Company, told the inquest the Afghan policeman who opened fire that day was based at a nearby checkpoint but was well known in the area. |
| It was originally thought an Afghan policeman might have accidentally fired his weapon, said Lt Cameron. | It was originally thought an Afghan policeman might have accidentally fired his weapon, said Lt Cameron. |
| However, when bullets started hitting the checkpoint's wall, it became clear it was an "attack", he said. | |
| Walking out of the checkpoint, he saw Pte Wroe and Sgt Thursby had been injured, along with a third soldier, while the Afghan policeman lay on the ground still moving and with a weapon next to him. | |
| 'Highly experienced' | |
| Lt Cameron told the inquest he ordered soldiers who were covering the man to move away, then told one to "re-engage". | |
| The soldier fired four shots at the man before his gun jammed, then another took over, firing two more shots, leaving him lying motionless on the ground. | |
| Lt Cameron admitted it would have been unusual for the Afghan policeman to be allowed to carry his weapon in that area of the checkpoint. | |
| He said he could only theorise that "highly experienced" Sgt Thursby had made a judgement to allow the man to do so. | |
| "He was very well known, very identifiable. He was a real champion of the partnership," said Lt Cameron. |