Parents plea for murder accused

Published on Friday 19 March 2010 21:51

THE parents of a former soldier facing the death penalty in Iraq over the killing of two colleagues pleaded with the British government yesterday to save his life.

Danny Fitzsimons, 29, of Middleton, Greater Manchester, is alleged to have shot two fellow private security guards dead during a drunken fight in Baghdad's Green Zone in August last year.

If convicted of murdering father-of-one Paul McGuigan, of Peebles, and Australian Darren Hoare, both 37, he could be hanged.

But his father Eric, and stepmother Liz, called on UK authorities to back his bid for clemency.

Mrs Fitzsimons said: "We need help. We need help from the British government, we need help to try to save Danny's life.

"We need fairness for Danny."

Echoing their calls, Clive Stafford Smith, director of legal charity Reprieve said it was the government's "legal and moral duty" to get involved in the case.

He called on ministers to make direct representations to the Iraqi government and assist his defence team in building a case.

In text messages sent from his prison cell, Fitzsimons claimed that he had acted in self defence during a drunken fight.

He claimed he shot McGuigan three times because the man had pulled a gun on him, adding that he killed Hoare in a fight after the initial shootings.

One text read: "Paul grabbed my M4, which had been scattered away from my assault vest and armour. He cocked the weapon. I pulled the Glock from my vest, chambered a round.

"Paul had already told me he was going to kill me now he had my M4 in his shoulder.

"I shot him three times in the chest."

Mr McGuigan's family, who say he was a "caring family man" strongly deny any claim that his killing was an act of self-defence.