Coroner speaks out after L/Cpl Richard Brandon's death

A coroner has expressed concern after a Midland soldier was killed by a roadside bomb hidden close to an Afghan National Army sentry post which had been left unmanned.

Lance Corporal Richard Brandon, aged 24, died instantly when his vehicle was ripped in two by the blast. The route taken was being monitored.

The Afghan National Army was responsible for monitoring the journey, an inquest heard yesterday.

Black Country Robin Balmain said the death was "very concerning".

At the inquest at Smethwick Council House yesterday, he recorded a verdict that L/Cpl Brandon was unlawfully killed while on military service.

He said: "In order to keep the area as safe as possible the Afghan troops are supposed to have been observing the route L/Cpl Brandon was taking and it's a matter of great regret that the sentry point was not manned."

He added: "It would appear that, with the point unmanned, the Taliban took the opportunity of planting what was clearly a very substantial explosive device ."

L/Cpl Brandon was travelling to the ANA compound to fix a broken power generator when the Samson recovery vehicle hit a bomb on September 2 last year.

The attack in the Babaji district of Helmand province left an 26ft-wide crater in the road, the inquest heard.

Afghan troops had been manning a sentry near to where the explosion took place, said Captain Robin Smith, who had been working with the Afghan army.

But a changeover of troops earlier meant the point was left unmanned.

Mr Balmain said: "We have heard in this inquest about the difficulties there of dealing with people who are in effect their allies.

"It was their function to observe and for whatever reason that wasn't done."

A member of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Lance Corporal Brandon was due to marry Emma-Jayne Webster.

The ex-King Charles I School pupil of Kidderminster, had a daughter Kaitlin, aged three, and stepsons Martyn Raszke, 12, and Liam Raszke-Webster, nine.