This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7103994.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Boat troops 'unlawfully killed' | |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Four UK military personnel were unlawfully killed in Iraq when their boat was hit by an explosive device, the Oxford coroner has ruled. | Four UK military personnel were unlawfully killed in Iraq when their boat was hit by an explosive device, the Oxford coroner has ruled. |
| The troops were on the Shatt al-Arab River, near Basra, in November 2006 when the bomb on a bridge exploded. | The troops were on the Shatt al-Arab River, near Basra, in November 2006 when the bomb on a bridge exploded. |
| The deaths may have been avoided if the boat had a device stopping such bombs detonating, the coroners' court heard. | The deaths may have been avoided if the boat had a device stopping such bombs detonating, the coroners' court heard. |
| Warrant Officer Lee Hopkins, Staff Sgt Sharron Elliott, Cpl Ben Nowak and Marine Jason Hylton all died. | Warrant Officer Lee Hopkins, Staff Sgt Sharron Elliott, Cpl Ben Nowak and Marine Jason Hylton all died. |
| 'Serious failure' | 'Serious failure' |
| Coroner Andrew Walker said that if the Royal Marines' vessel had been fitted with an electronic counter measure (ECM) it was "more likely than not" that the device would not have gone off. | Coroner Andrew Walker said that if the Royal Marines' vessel had been fitted with an electronic counter measure (ECM) it was "more likely than not" that the device would not have gone off. |
| WO Lee Hopkins and Cpl Ben Nowak also died in the blast | WO Lee Hopkins and Cpl Ben Nowak also died in the blast |
| He also told the court that the bridge had not been searched before the boat passed underneath, which he said amounted to "a really serious failure to follow basic procedure". | He also told the court that the bridge had not been searched before the boat passed underneath, which he said amounted to "a really serious failure to follow basic procedure". |
| Recording verdicts of unlawful killing, he said: "This was an entirely avoidable incident if the basic principles [of military training] had been followed. | Recording verdicts of unlawful killing, he said: "This was an entirely avoidable incident if the basic principles [of military training] had been followed. |
| "A vulnerable point [in this case the bridge] should not be crossed unless a search of the point has been carried out." | "A vulnerable point [in this case the bridge] should not be crossed unless a search of the point has been carried out." |
| Cpl Nowak's father James, a former naval serviceman from Southampton, said: "Not enough was done, not enough thought was given to this. They (the Royal Marines) are the sea soldiers, the elite force. | |
| "It's very frustrating. At the end of the day they made a cock-up and that's that." | |
| Known danger | |
| The two-day hearing heard the river was used to transport military staff between the British bases at Basra Palace and the Shatt al-Arab Hotel. | |
| Captain Richard Morris, of 539 Assault Squadron, Royal Marines, said the point where the bomb was detonated was a known danger spot. | |
| But he said although vessels passing the spot had been fired upon in the past, there had been no improvised explosive attacks or fatalities since UK troops had arrived in 2003. | |
| Capt Morris said: "Boats were the favoured way of moving along the waterway because at the time boats had never been targeted. | |
| "It was perceived to be the safest means of travel." | |
| Other units were not able to spare men to provide security and cover for vessels passing under the bridge at that time, he said. | |
| Resources were made available to secure the bridge following the deaths. At this the coroner, Andrew Walker, said: "So it takes four people to lose their lives before this can happen?" | |
| "Sadly yes, that's right," said Capt Morris. | |
| 'Very thorough' | |
| The inquest was told the stricken boat was second in a convoy of three vessels, with the other two craft keeping watch either side. | |
| The murders were filmed and the footage later broadcast on Iraqi TV. Family members were shown the film privately yesterday. | |
| A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said after the inquest: "I think it was a very thorough inquisition. The MoD will take very careful note of the comments made by the coroner." | |
| Those killed were: Warrant Officer Class 2 Lee Hopkins, 35, of the Royal Corps of Signals, from Northamptonshire; Staff Sergeant Sharron Elliott, 34, of the Intelligence Corps, originally from Ipswich, Suffolk; Corporal Ben Nowak, 27, of 45 Commando Royal Marines, from Speke, Liverpool; and Marine Jason 'Jay' Hylton, 33, of 539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines, from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. |