The mother of a soldier, fatally shot during a live fire training exercise on a Pembrokeshire MoD training range, has made an impassioned plea to have answers into the circumstances surrounding his death by the end of this year.
Sergeant Gavin Hillier, 35, of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, died at the Castlemartin range on March 4, 2021.
A service inquiry report (SIR) by the Defence Safety Authority published in August 2022 stated that Sgt Hillier was likely to have been mistaken for a firing target by a short-sighted colleague who was not wearing corrective lenses at the time.
A pre inquest hearing was held at County Hall, Haverfordwest, today, May 7, to move the inquest process forward.
Pembrokeshire Coroner, Gareth Lewis, heard that a report by the Heath and Safety Inspectorate had been completed and the MoD notified accordingly.
The pre inquest hearing heard that 109 witnesses had been interviewed by Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to the incident.
However, Charlotte Moor, the counsel representing Sgt Hillier’s family, said that in terms of the disclosure of documentary evidence, they were no further forward than 18 months ago.
“I think that we are in the same position we were at the end of 2024,” she told the coroner.
Mr Lewis said that he was not yet able to set a definitive date for the final inquest but that it would be during a window between October 5 this year and January 29, 2027.
At this point Sgt Hillier’s mother Karen Selway made an emotional plea to the coroner, urging that the matter did not continue into next year.
“As a family we have been patient and allowed you to do your job,” she said.
“We have been let down four times with dates. Please can we have this done this year not next year?
“We appreciate that people have things to do but as a family we really do need a conclusion to this.
“I want to be here for my son’s inquest. I want this please to be done this year. As a family, my grandchild is now 18, they were 12 when this happened.
“I think we have been through enough. We were promised that in 2024 we would have a date.
“It’s not acceptable. I am not happy with it going into next year."
HM Coroner for Pembrokeshire Mr Lewis, who has taken over the inquest from his predecessor Paul Bennett, said:
“We will do all that we can to facilitate the hearing taking place by the end of this year.
“I can only apologise for what has happened in the past,” he added. “I will do all that I can to ensure that you, the family, get the answers you deserve.”
Mr Lewis undertook to review all the disclosed documents in the coming days and make sure that all interested parties had access to them.
He also heeded a request by the MoD to assemble a witness list as soon as possible so that the ministry could start to facilitate the attendance, either in person or remotely of military personnel.
“I will progress this matter as quickly as I possibly can,” he said.
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