Red Caps murder trial in Iraq is delayed

It is more than seven years since the Red Caps were killed when a mob of about 400 people attacked a police station in Majar al-Kabir, southern Iraq.

Hamza Hateer and Mussa Ismael al Fartusi were due to stand trial at the central criminal court in Baghdad today, but the judge put off the case until October 10 to give more witnesses time to travel.

John Hyde, whose son Lance Corporal Benjamin Hyde, 23, was one of the victims, was philosophical about the latest delay.

Mr Hyde, of Northallerton, said: "It's been going on for seven years. What difference does another 10 days make?

"I can't really get emotional about it. It's just something else that's happened.

"The whole process has taken so long anyway. It's not a surprise that there's a delay."

Relatives of those who died have fought a long campaign for those responsible to be brought to justice.

The Red Caps had been training local Iraqi officers when the police station came under attack on June 24 2003.

An inquest in March 2006 heard that some of their bodies were found riddled with bullets, while others had marks that suggested they had been dragged, tied up or beaten with rifles.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded a narrative verdict of unlawful killing, saying the six soldiers should have been better equipped but their deaths could not have been avoided.

The other victims were Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell, 41, from Chessington, Surrey; Corporal Russell Aston, 30, from Swadlincote, Derbyshire; Corporal Paul Long, 24, of South Shields, Tyne and Wear; Lance Corporal Tom Keys, 20, from Bala, North Wales; and Corporal Simon Miller, 21, from Washington, Tyne and Wear.

Their families have expressed concerns about how they will be kept informed about what happens at the trial in Baghdad.

They were originally told they could travel to Iraq for the hearings but it was later decided this was too dangerous.

British officials then said efforts would be made to set up a videolink beaming live images from the court back to the UK but this did not prove possible.

Instead the relatives will receive email updates via the British Embassy in Baghdad and the Ministry of Defence about how the trial progresses.