An inquest has been held in Britain into the death of an Irish man and his British colleague killed in a roadside bomb on Royal Marines in Afghanistan last year.
Marines Robert McKibben, from Co Mayo and Neil Dunstan, from Bournemouth, both 32, died when their Jackal vehicle was hit in Southern Helmand, Afghanistan, on November 12th last.
Wiltshire and Swindon coroner David Ridley today noted helmets would not have saved the comrades, who were wearing body armour, from the 25kg roadside explosive.
He recorded a verdict of unlawful killing after hearing that no intelligence reports suggested the area was high risk.
Their Taliban murderers will be charged if they are ever caught, the inquest in Trowbridge heard.
The men were killed after driving over a pressure plate in the Garmsir District of southern Helmand while on an intelligence mission with British Reconnaissance Force (BEF).
Both were pronounced dead at the scene and a post-mortem revealed that both died of multiple blast injuries.
They were joined on the mission by members of the Afghan National Security Forces, one of whom was inside the Jackal and also died. A third Marine was seriously injured but has since made a full recovery.
Robert McKibben, who was driving, had been given full training in the Jackal vehicle and in IEDs (improvised explosives).
The men were working as part of the intelligence gathering mission, Operation Brehnaa Sheen, that involved mixing with Afghan locals.
The operation on the day was considered low risk, the inquest heard.
Staff Sgt David Spamer, who was also travelling in the convoy that day, said all the men selected for the intelligence team “would have to stand head and shoulders above their counterparts - they were high calibre”.
When the vehicle was found it was upside down and another injured soldier had to be pulled from underneath.
Dr Nicholas Hunt who carried out post-mortem examinations on the men said that body armour and helmets would have been unable to prevent “most if not all of these injuries”.
Mr Ridley said in conclusion: “The area was not considered to be vulnerable and as such helmets were not being worn, although full body armour was being worn.”
He recorded the unlawful killing verdict “on the basis that this was a device left by the enemy forces and on the basis that if any charge were levelled at any individual it would be murder”.
PA