Red Cap's father fights for probe

Mike Aston wants a full public inquiry

The father of a military policeman killed in Iraq has begun legal action to get the Ministry of Defence to carry out an inquiry into his son's death.

Cpl Russell Aston of Coton in the Elms in south Derbyshire was one of six Red Caps killed by a mob in 2003 while they were defending a police station.

Mike Aston has filed papers with The European Court of Human Rights to force a public inquiry into their deaths.

Proper communications and sufficient ammunition were not provided, he said.

Mr Aston said he was denied the chance to apportion blame to those he believed were responsible for his son's death.

Sgt Simon Hamilton-Jewell, 41, Cpl Paul Long, 24, Cpl Simon Miller, 21, L/Cpl Benjamin Hyde, 23, and L/Cpl Thomas Keys, 20 also died in the attack on 24 June, 2003, in Al Majar al-Kabir in southern Iraq.

I've lost a good son, 30 years old, simply because they sent him out ill-equipped and under-armed Mike Aston

A coroner's inquest and an army board of inquiry found the six military policemen had been killed unlawfully and had not been issued with either satellite phones or sufficient ammunition.

But neither the inquest nor the inquiry found that anyone was to blame.

Mike Aston has filed the papers to force a public inquiry and ultimately a court martial.

"Those people who did what they did on that day are still in charge and are still walking around and they've all been promoted," he said.

"And it really does stick in your gullet to know that I've lost a good son, 30 years old, simply because they sent him out ill-equipped and under-armed, and I'm not having it."

If there is a case to answer it could take 18 months to get to court.

In a statement, the MoD said: "Our thoughts continue to be with the families, during this difficult time.

"We have been doing all that we can to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice.

"The criminal case is now being dealt with by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq, which is making progress with its own investigations."