Soldier describes fatal 'prank'

Rifleman Edward Vakabua died at the British base in Basra Palace

A UK soldier serving in Iraq who killed a colleague has told a court martial he shot the man dead while "playing" with a gun he assumed was unloaded.

Rifleman Aaron Kendrick, 20, of 4 Rifles, shot Fijian Edward Vakabua, 23, in the head as he lay on his bunk in the Basra Palace base in July 2007.

The soldier said he was playing with a sniper rifle he was not trained to use, believing it to be broken and unloaded.

The board at Bulford military court in Wiltshire is considering its verdict.

An investigation was launched following the incident and in April Rifleman Kendrick was charged by the Army Prosecuting Authority.

He admits negligently discharging an L96 sniper rifle on 6 July 2007 but denies manslaughter.

The court martial heard Rifleman Kendrick cocked the weapon and pulled the trigger, shooting in the head Rifleman Vakabua, who was lying on a bunk bed.

I made a mistake - I caused the death of a very good friend of mine Rifleman Aaron Kendrick

Rifleman Kendrick told the hearing he "squeezed the trigger" and there was a bang.

Recalling the moment immediately after the incident, he said: "I dropped the weapon. I remember running up to Rifleman Vakabua and that's as far as I remember."

The soldier said at first he had been in shock, but realised what he had done.

He told the court martial: "I was heart-broken. I knew him [Rifleman Vakabua] as a good friend. We got on very well. I stayed in the same room as Rifleman Vakabua.

"I made a mistake. I caused the death of a very good friend of mine and there is nothing I can do to change it."

Rifleman Kendrick claimed sniper L/Cpl Frankie Taylor, the soldier he believed the L96 rifle he fired belonged to, had let him play with it and left the room after seeing him pick it up and cock it.

He described having "playful banter" with L/Cpl Taylor about being able to cock his weapon faster than him.

But prosecutor Col Nigel Jones said this was "a cock and bull story to cover up your mistake" and L/Cpl Taylor stated he was not in the room when Kendrick picked up the rifle.

'Shy and pleasant'

The prosecutor said: "You made this fatal mistake - and I mean that literally - because you assumed the rifle was safe."

Rifleman Kendrick, who says he thought the rifle was not loaded, claims he did not point the gun at his colleague.

Rifleman Vakabua, known as "Vaka", from Suva, Fiji, died instantly.

He was serving in the Mortar Platoon attached to 7 Platoon, B Company.

The MoD described him as a "quiet, shy and pleasant character".

Capt Will Peltor, Rifleman Vakabua's platoon commander, said he was "a proud son of Fiji" whose death had hurt all of his colleagues deeply.