I shot comrades because they beat me up, says accused Briton in Iraq

Published on Tuesday 11 August 2009 20:33

A BRITISH security contractor accused of shooting dead two of his comrades and wounding a third has reportedly claimed he acted in self-defence during a drunken brawl.

Danny Fitzsimons, who could face the death penalty if convicted, was arrested by Iraqi police after the attack in Baghdad's International Zone on Sunday morning.

Speaking through an interpreter, Fitzsimons, who worked for security firm ArmorGroup Iraq, said: "I got into a fight with two colleagues and they had me pinned down. I received a real beating.

"They beat me and that's when I reached for my weapon. I was drunk and it happened very quickly."

The two men shot dead were Paul McGuigan, of Innerleithen, Peeblesshire, and Australian Darren Hoare, both of whom worked for ArmorGroup Iraq.

It was reported that Fitzsimons appeared before an Iraqi judge at a brief hearing on Monday and had confessed to killing Mr McGuigan and Mr Hoare.

Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Abdul-Kareem Khalaf said: "The British guard admitted his crime of killing the two men. He remains under investigation in the Green Zone on charges of premeditated murder. He faces the death penalty or life imprisonment, depending on the evidence."

A friend of Fitzsimons, named only as Richard, said the former soldier was affected by his experiences in Iraq.

He said: "He's not a cold-blooded murderer, he's just someone that has basically been in a warzone and is reaping the effects.

"He's been through some very tragic and hardcore events and you know, seeing friends killed and colleagues killed has an effect on you."

He added that Fitzsimons should be tried in the UK because an Iraqi court would not take into account mental health issues.

An Iraqi employee of ArmorGroup reportedly said Fitzsimons had a reputation among co-workers for aggressive behaviour. "He was a very bad guy. We were afraid of him. His ways are very aggressive."

A former British soldier who had worked alongside Fitzsimons said he had a history of violent conduct which "should have precluded him from being hired".

Mr McGuigan, a 37-year-old father of one, served as a Royal Marine before starting work as a security guard in Iraq in 2003. His partner, who has not been named, is expecting his child.

He attended Peebles High School before leaving the Borders town when he joined the Royal Marines in 1990.

It is understood his father now lives in Ireland, while his mother Corinne, who ran a travel agency, has moved away from the area.

Mr Hoare, 37, from Queensland, served in Iraq as a member of the Royal Australian Air Force before starting work as a private security contractor.

He leaves three children with his partner Mollyjoe.

A fourth ArmorGroup employee, Arkhan Mahdi, was shot and wounded during the incident.