Inquest hears about Afghan crash deaths

Lance Corporal David Ramsden, 26, from Leeds, and three other soldiers from the North West were killed in the incident near Gereshk in Helmand province four years ago. They were members of a police advisory team and were travelling as part of a two-vehicle convoy when their vehicle,rolled into the Nahr-e Bughra canal.

David Ridley, coroner for Wiltshire, described how the incident happened as the Ridgeback vehicle was travelling to an incident at police checkpoint five (CP5).

He said: “The lead Ridgeback vehicle had just passed over a bridge, a loud bang was heard followed by someone shouting ‘We’re going in’.”

Mr Ridley described how the vehicle then rolled down a steep bank and the four men did not survive the incident on June 23 2010.

Colour Sergeant Martyn Horton, 34, from Runcorn, Cheshire, Private Douglas Halliday, 20, from Wallasey in Merseyside and Private Alex Isaac, 20, from the Wirral - all from the 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment, were also killed.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul Dupuy, who was the commanding officer of the Gereshk operation co-ordination centre district and whose task it was to liaise with and mentor local police, said he was aware that the route to CP5 was an “obvious target”, but his team had been unable to find alternatives because of the size of other roads and paths and their mud or wooden bridges.

He said that in the days prior to the incident there had been “increased pressure” in the area of CP5 with intelligence they had received suggesting it was under imminent threat of attack.

The advisory team had visited CP5 on the morning of June 23 but the area was quiet. They were then asked by the Afghan National Police to return again that evening after a further attack.

He added: “We had received intelligence there would be an attack on CP5 that day, although the intelligence was not of a good quality there was a continuing vibe that something was happening.”

It was as the two vehicles headed to this second “significant incident” of three explosions and “considerable ongoing” automatic gunfire that the incident happened at about 9.40pm.

Lt Col Dupuy said that he was aware of a previous IED attack which had caused a vehicle to go into a canal and he had advised his team to keep the back hatches open when travelling near water.

Corporal Keith Farley, who trained Lce Cpl Ramsden to drive the Ridgeback vehicle, as well as Cpl Jamie Mullins who was driving the second vehicle, said they both completed the course with a 100 per cent pass rate. He said it was mandatory to wear seatbelts.

Pte Michael Peers, who was in the Ridgeback when it fell into the canal, said in a statement read to the hearing: “I felt the vehicle jolt and I thought it might be an IED.”

He said the vehicle was travelling at speed, leaving the following Ridgeback to trail behind at some distance, as it responded to the call for help. He said the crew were all wearing their seatbelts and had opened the hatches as they travelled close to the canal.

The inquest, at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court, continues.