Soldier's threats before shooting

Sergeant Busuttil was shot as he lay in a hammock

A soldier who shot a colleague while on peacekeeping duties in Afghanistan had threatened a sergeant just days before, an inquest has been told.

Sergeant Robert Busuttil, 30, of Tycoch, Swansea, was killed after Corporal John Gregory, 30, fired up to 10 bullets at him.

Gregory, of Catterick, North Yorkshire, shouted "Do you think you're hard now?" as he was shooting his victim, before turning the gun on himself.

The inquest has heard how the two soldiers - based at Bulford Camp in Wiltshire - had fallen out and had a fight at a farewell barbecue in Mr Gregorys' honour at a military base at Kabul Airport last August.

Yes, it was so easy to get alcohol there sometimes, it was a bit mad Sergeant Dale Garner

Sergeant Dale Garner who slept in a bed next to Gregory, told the inquest at Chippenham Magistrates Court how the soldier had become aggressive after drinking three nights before the fatal shooting.

Mr Garner said: "He came up to me and said 'Can I have a word?'

Gregory then allegedly said: "I want to punch your lights in."

Mr Garner said the matter related to an incident which had upset Gregory a month earlier.

Woken by gunfire

It was resolved and nothing more was said.

Mr Garner told the inquest that he had gone to bed early after the farewell barbecue on 16 August but was woken by the sound of gunfire.

He said: "I heard shooting, a lot of shooting from outside.

"I thought we were under some sort of attack.

But a corporal then ran in and said: "John's shot Bob. John's shot Bob."

When he arrived at the scene he found the bodies of Gregory and Mr Busuttil sprawled near a hammock.

Loaded rifle

He checked Gregory but knew he was already dead and tried to resuscitate Mr Busuttil after finding a pulse.

The court had earlier heard how Gregory and Mr Busuttil had come to blows after an argument over a throw-away comment made by the sergeant, but the two had subsequently made up.

Despite this, Gregory returned to the party some half an hour later with his loaded SA-80 rifle, and shot Mr Busuttil repeatedly - up to 10 times - as he lay in a hammock.

The two soldiers, both of the Royal Logistics Corps, were part of a small contingent from the British Army in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Two-can rule

The court was told there was a rack for weapons but soldiers regularly kept their rifles under their beds or even, despite warnings, in their sleeping bags.

Mr Garner also told the inquest a friend had called him to warn him when Gregory was being transferred from Germany that he could "get a bit punchy after a couple of beers".

But he said despite the one incident three days before, he had never seemed aggressive or drunk.

The court heard how a two-can rule for farewell parties in Afghanistan had been generally relaxed with soldiers and their superiors frequently exceeding the limit on beer.

After the shooting, Mr Garner said a padlocked weapons rack was quickly introduced and said the two-can rule was then strictly enforced.

The inquest continues.