Family seeks legal advice over death of soldier at training range

As grieving family members welcomed the outcome, they also criticised Army personnel who refused to tell everything they knew.

Michael “Mike” Maguire, 21, originally from County Cork, Ireland, was hit in the temple by a single machine gun bullet fired by a fellow soldier training one kilometre away.

He was relaxing in a designated safe haven at the sprawling Castlemartin Ranges, along the Pembrokeshire coast, in May last year.

The ranger, with the 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment, had taken off his body armour and protective helmet after finishing his own live fire training.

A two-week inquest in Cardiff into the circumstances surrounding his death highlighted a series of potentially fatal failings.

Range commander Lieutenant Jonathan Price dismissed suggestions while giving evidence that he had failed to fully take up his responsibilities.

But the jury heard that a risk assessment was not fully carried out and attack targets were found to be wrongly placed.

Lt Price had passed a course allowing him to plan and carry out live fire tactical training just nine months before. Course tutors passed him as “competent” but had enough reservations about his ability to recommend “increased levels of supervision”.

On the day of the tragedy a machine gunner was allowed to turn his weapon inland towards where ranger Maguire was deemed to be safe. It is likely live fire from the same weapon was shot in the direction of the nearby Freshwater West Beach, known to be a magnet for surfers. In chilling evidence, the jury heard that the beach fell well within the danger range of the machine gun firing live ammunition. An expert told the inquest he had never come across such a situation.

Family members were more scathing in their criticism after the unlawful killing verdict.

Jimmy Maguire, the dead ranger’s older brother, said: “We are disappointed that key personnel involved decided to rely on their right not to answer questions which were potentially self-incriminating rather than give the inquest a full and true account of what happened. That has left us with unanswered questions, in particular about the actions of the people responsible for the planning of and safety on the exercise that caused Mike’s death.”

The family hope other continuing inquiries into the death, by the Health and Safety Executive and the Army itself, will eventually answer their questions.