Family sueing MoD over Shropshire soldier's death on firing range
The Ministry of Defence failed in its duty to protect a Shropshire soldier shot dead during a training exercise on a firing range, his family has said.
Fusilier Dean Griffiths, 21, of First Battalion the Royal Welsh, died at Lydd Range, Kent, in September 2011.
An inquest at Folkestone coroner's court was told a target was wrongly placed against a wooden wall but there was no evidence it was malicious.
The MoD said it was doing all it could to prevent any recurrence.
Fusilier Griffiths, from Market Drayton, whose partner was pregnant at the time of his death, was serving with the Chester-based battalion as it prepared to go to Afghanistan.
The inquest heard the former Grove School pupil had been taking part in a live firing exercise when one of his assault team colleagues entered a compound and fired two shots at the target.
One of the shots went through the target and the wooden wall and hit Fusilier Griffiths, who was on the other side. The bullet severed an artery and he died at the scene.
After the jury returned a narrative verdict, his family, who are suing the MoD for negligence, said his death was unfathomable.
"Dean served his country valiantly in Afghanistan and we are incredibly proud of him," they said in a statement.
"Our lives have changed forever and we only wish that he could have lived to see his little boy grow up."
They added: "We have always believed that the right safety procedures were not in place to avoid the dangers of live firing exercises and that the MoD failed in its duty to protect its troops. The MoD has confirmed that it will not be disputing liability and we will now be pursuing legal action for negligence."
