Former soldier’s death explained at inquest

Feb 29 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

DETAILS of how a former Para was killed by a suicide bomber on an Iraqi “road of death” were revealed for the first time yesterday.

Father-of-three Alan Parkin, 44, from Medomsley Road, Consett, County Durham, was blown up by a suicide bomber on a notorious stretch of road near Baghdad Airport in April, 2005.

Yesterday, his wife Zena attended an inquest into his death, presided over by Durham coroner Andrew Tweddle in Chester-le-Street.

The hearing was told that Mr Parkin – a former pupil of Greencroft School, Annfield Plain, County Durham – was the only passenger in a Toyota Land Cruiser at the head of a three vehicle convoy which was rammed by a car driven by an Iraqi insurgent.

Yesterday, Mrs Parkin said: “Alan is still very much with us, the children talk about him every day, which helps them to cope.

“He felt he was doing a worthwhile job in Iraq. Helping the people get their lives back on track was important to him. He made a lot of friends over there and really enjoyed what he was doing.”

Mr Tweddle told Mrs Parkin he had experienced difficulty in obtaining any information from Iraq, but his officer had managed to get a sworn statement from the driver of the Land Cruiser, Jason Appleton, from American lawyers who were processing a claim.

Mr Appleton’s statement said: “We were driving out of the ‘Green Zone’. There was heavy traffic in front so we hung back.

“We began to pick up speed again, then we were hit by a VBIED – Vehicle borne improvised explosive device.

“It was a suicide bomber. We realised an insurgent caused the explosion because a few hours later news was broadcast on the Arabic TV station, Al Jazeera.”

Mr Appleton, from Lancashire, sustained numerous injuries in the explosion. Mr Parkin died from his injuries.

Both men were working for Aegis Defence Services, the largest British private security contractor in Iraq.

Mr Parkin was described by the company’s owner, Lt Col Tim Spicer OBE, as a “soldier through and through” at his funeral at Consett Parish Church in May 2005, adding: “Alan and his colleagues believed they were doing something worthwhile for a people who have been oppressed by terror and torture and murder for 30 years.”

He had been employed as a private security officer by Aegis for five months. Prior to that he had spent 23 years in the Army with tours of duty to Bosnia, the Gulf and Northern Ireland, leaving on his 40th birthday. He later worked as a care officer in a young offenders’ institution in Medomsley, Consett, before going to Iraq.

He left Zena, daughter Sonia, 24, and sons Daniel, 21, and Dean, 18.

Verdict: Unlawful killing.