Afghan bomb killings 'unlawful'

Senior Aircraftman Thompson died instantly in the blast

A coroner has said it was unlikely a missing metal detector contributed to the death of two servicemen in an explosion in Afghanistan.

Senior Aircraftman Gary Thompson, 51, from Nottingham and SAC Graham Livingstone, 23, of Glasgow, died in April 2008 near Kandahar Airfield.

Coroner David Masters said the bomb's plastic build made detection difficult.

At Trowbridge Town Hall he recorded verdicts of unlawful killing while on active service on both servicemen.

SAC Thompson, from the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, became the oldest serviceman to die in the conflict when the device detonated on 13 April 2008.

Equipment upgrade

His Land Rover struck the explosive device as the convoy crossed a river.

The inquest heard that the patrol only had one metal detector as another was faulty and had not been replaced.

But Mr Masters made no recommendations after hearing all patrols now carried four improved detectors and had better protected vehicles.

SAC Thompson joined the RAF in 1973 and was based at RAF Cottesmore in Leicestershire, but left four years later to pursue a career in business.

The father of five became managing director of Sherwood Ducting Ltd in Nottingham.

In 2005 he became a reservist, serving as a gunner and later a mortar man in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

He then joined No 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron.