Question mark over prospect of justice for murdered Red Caps

But after the collapse of yesterday's trial it appeared that Ben's father John's nightmare was coming true – that no one would ever be brought to justice for the killings on June 24, 2003.

It is now more than seven years since a mob of around 400 people descended on a police station in Majar al-Kabir, 120 miles north of the British-controlled city of Basra, where the Red Caps from 156 Provost Company were training local officers.

The military policemen were unaware that the Paras had been in fire-fights that day and two days previously with an angry mob which had been enraged by weapons searches in the heavily-armed region.

They also did not know about rumours that four local people had been killed during a riot in the town's market square earlier that morning which had unleashed fury.

Sgt Simon Hamilton-Jewell, Cpl Russell Aston, Cpl Paul Long, Cpl Simon Miller, Lance Cpl Ben Hyde, and Lance Cpl Thomas Keys were at a routine meeting at the police station after playing a relaxed game of football with local officers earlier in the day.

When masked men advanced on the police station their volunteer Iraqi hosts fled and Sgt Hamilton-Jewell ordered his men to take up defensive positions.

Two of their armoured Land Rovers were blown up by rocket-propelled grenades and they faced hundreds of young men armed with Kalashnikov rifles – but none of the six Royal Military Policemen fired into the crowd.Three hours later, all six were dead.

An inquest in 2006 heard some were found riddled with bullets, while others had been dragged, tied up or beaten with rifles.

It also emerged they were not equipped with Iridium satellite telephones to call for help despite a direct order from their commanding officer, Colonel Thomas Beckett, that all units leaving base must carry one.

Just 27 of the telephones were available to the 1,000-strong 1 Para battle group. The equipment shortages meant that the Red Caps would not have known that Paras in their battle group were in the same area and could have helped.

Another direct order by Col Beckett – that each man carry 150 rounds of ammunition – had also been ignored. The six Red Caps were carrying only 50 rounds each.

But Col Beckett told Coroner Nicholas Gardiner that, even with the satellite phone and Paras on the ground fighting their way through the streets to save them, their chances of survival were slim.

Recording a narrative verdict of unlawful killing, the coroner said the six men should have been better equipped but their deaths could not have been avoided.

A 2004 Board of Inquiry also found "no conclusive evidence" that the deaths could reasonably have been prevented.

Arrest warrants for eight suspects were issued by Baghdad in February 2006 but the men's families became increasingly frustrated when a year later nobody had been detained.

They demanded action from the British Government. Former Defence Secretary Des Browne met the families in March 2007 and assured them there would be no let-up.

But the families had to wait to find out eight men had been arrested.

One was soon released and charges against a further five were dropped.

The collapse of the trial against the remaining two accused at the central criminal court in Baghdad yesterday will do nothing to bring justice any closer for the families.

Comment: Page 10.