Inquest probes ‘friendly fire’ theory in sniper death

A SOLDIER suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the side of the ribcage while deployed to stop insurgents from placing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the road at an observation post, an inquest heard.

Lance Corporal Michael Pritchard, 22, of the 4th Regiment, Royal Military Police, was killed in the Sangin area, in central Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on 20 December 2009 while on secondment with 4th Battalion The Rifles.

The soldier, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, had arrived at the observation post, known as November 30, between five and six hours before he was killed just after 9pm. He and his colleagues had been deployed to a patrol base on the roof of a building to watch a blind spot in the road, an inquest in Eastbourne was told.

In order to secure the route from Taleban insurgents, the road was cleared of 40 IEDs from 15 December so that soldiers could then be placed at observation posts along the way.

The inquest is examining whether Mr Pritchard died as a result of friendly fire from a British sniper who was based at a remote observation post, who thought he was engaging insurgents digging in the road.

East Sussex coroner Alan Craze was told by Major Richard Streatfield, that soldiers were under daily small arms fire and IED threat both before and after L/Cpl Pritchard’s death, which meant they were not getting a lot of sleep.