Security firm has blood on its hands over Iraq murders

Danny Fitzsimons at the Iraqi court in Baghdad

A FORMER soldier hadn’t been properly vetted to work in Iraq when he unlawfully killed his colleague, a coroner has ruled.

Former Royton man Danny Fitzsimons is serving a 20-year sentence in Iraq for murdering Paul McGuigan (37), from Scotland, and Australian Darren Hoare (37) within hours of arriving in Baghdad in August 2009. All three were employed by G4S-owned ArmorGroup.

After the inquest into Mr McGuigan’s death ended, his mother, Corinne Boyd-Russell (62), from Innerleithen, Scotland, criticised the firm for its failings and said they had yet to apologise to her family.

“I have always said that Danny pulled the trigger but he’s not the only one with my son’s blood on his hands,” she said.

Fitzsimons, a former soldier in the Parachute Regiment, had been dismissed from the Army and was on the run for a string of offences when the security firm took him on without vetting him properly.

A steroid user, described as violent and unpredictable, especially when drunk, Fitzsimons held extreme racist views, and according to one doctor’s assessment only showed any excitement when talking about involvement in football hooliganism and firing guns.

The former pupil at Our Lady’s Catholic School, Royton, was being dealt with by the Probation Service after offences of assaults, robbery and possession of ammunition but there were “significant missed opportunities” to properly assess and supervise him, the inquest heard.

Joanne Kearsley, area coroner for South Manchester, rejected Fitzsimons’ claims he suffered post traumatic stress disorder after serving with the Paras in the Balkans War.

Delivering her 91-page narrative verdict, Ms Kearsley added: “There were missed opportunities and failings by the probation service to manage the escalating offending behaviour and risk presented by the offender prior to his deployment abroad.

“In addition, G4S did not ensure that he was adequately vetted prior to being deployed to work as a close protection officer.”