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A BRITISH SOLDIER fatally injured during a training exercise in Wales is likely to have been mistaken for a firing target by a short-sighted colleague who was not wearing lenses at the time, a report has concluded.
Sergeant Gavin Hillier (35) of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, died at the Castlemartin range in Pembrokeshire on 4 March 2021.
His wife Karyn and sons Declan and Connor described themselves as “heartbroken” following his death.
The shooter, referred to in an official and partly redacted report as Guardsman 1, had been prescribed corrective lenses but was not wearing them at the time.
The service inquiry report by the Defence Safety Authority said:
“The panel assessed it likely that Gdsm 1 mistook Sgt Hillier for the SFT (switch fire target).
“The panel concluded that not wearing their prescribed corrective lenses significantly impacted Gdsm 1’s ability to identify, acquire and subsequently engage the correct target.
The panel finds that Gdsm 1 not wearing their prescribed corrective lenses was a contributory factor.
The report said the shooter, who had been in the Army for 18 months at the time of the incident, had previously tried to join the military but was told they were ineligible due to a “visual acuity” (VA).
The guardsman only met the minimum entry standards for the military when wearing corrective lenses, the report said.
It added that, without lenses, “to see the same level of detail as a normally sighted person, they would need to be three times closer if using both eyes (binocular vision), or six times closer using just their right eye”.
The report concluded that on the night of the incident, the shooter “was approximately 290 metres from the SFT where they should have been aiming their rifle”.
It added:
“Given their uncorrected VA they would have seen this target in the same detail as someone with normal vision would have seen it at 1,740 metres.”
Recommendations
The report makes a series of recommendations including ensuring soldiers requiring corrective lenses know of their responsibility to wear them “for all safety-critical duties” and for an “assurance mechanism” to ensure they are wearing them “prior to live firing”.
A spokeswoman for the Army said:
“Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the family and friends of Sergeant Gavin Hillier at this sad time.
We are supporting the ongoing investigation into the incident which is being led by Dyfed-Powys Police so it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Sgt Hillier had a “distinguished career”, the Ministry of Defence previously said, deploying on operations in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
His wife and sons said:
“We are absolutely heartbroken and can’t express how proud we are of you.
Our boys will continue to make you proud and you will forever live on through them.
An inquest into Sgt Hillier’s death was opened at Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire Coroner’s Court last year.
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Im just throwing this out there but my vote has absolutely nothing to do with my political allignments nor was my vote in this matter influenced by the agenda of any political party. A vote for the retention of the upper house should not be taken by Fianna Fail as a victory for them.
exactly, but you know that they will try to put it out that way.
Just the usual FF arrogance.
Just goes to show how out of touch with the county these clowns are.
country
Annoying as it is, it merely balances FG’s…
No mater which side won we would have this type of rubbish , I certainly wasnt thinking of FF when I voted. Im bewildered how well the do in recent polls
@Angela Has a date been set for the rerun or have you finally accepted that this result WILL stand?
I voted No in this referendum as deep down I think the Seanad if we are to keep it needs to be reformed and fit for purpose. We have a chance of doing that if its retained. I certainly didn’t do it because FF said I should or in the same breath vote Yes because FG, SF and the fraggle rock lunatic left said I should. If the people have spoken and a No vote is carried, reform the damn thing once and for all. Make it fit for purpose and not a halfway house for wannabe and failed politicians and cronies…
Well said Darragh.
Rubbish, you only speak for yourself.
Fianna Fáil led the fight for retention of the Seanad and this is down to their hard work.
Your partizan views aside.
I will believe it when i see it Niall
To all the idiots who wrote “reform” on their ballot paper results from Tipp North showed a margin of difference of 201 with 417 spoils!
@Seanie That’s absolute BS and u know it. Voters can decide for themselves and FF had NOTHING to do with the decision of the vast majority of voters!
FF done nothing for my vote.i done the thinking for myself
Hahahaha……. oh dear Jases that made me laugh…
These delusional idiots actually think they were instrumental in this result…
Oh dream on ff…
This was done out of pure distrust of this government .
seanie is a f fail troll
I’m laying out the facts. Fianna Fáil position against all others was vindicated with over 50% of the electorate agreeing that the Seanad must be kept.
They may not all have been swayed by the debate but it certainly did for a lot of people.
The fight back is well under way, bring on the local elections.
ryan
you are one prize clown, a pure inbred f failer. Bring on the civil war.
Agreed…FF had no more to do with swaying my decision than the cast of Sesame Street.. If FF take any glory as a result of a no vote, they’re even more deluded than we thought.
it will be a sad day for this country if that shower of liars, and crooks ever worm their way back in to power. bring on the local elections is right, so we can begin to get the current shower of liars, and crooks out. Party politics are inherently undemocratic, and the old school voters in this country who vote for parties and not on the merit of policy, honesty, and capability need to wake up. we have brilliant people in this country who can’t get a look in.
FF would have serviced this country better by disbanding in 08′. Debates in the Dáil usually turn into a farce with the leading side telling their opponents “Its your fault we’re here”! Really productive.
Lol Seanie, you really are away with the fairies
Can we have a referendum on making FFailed an illegal organisation?
Seanie , you’re probably a well meaning person but let me spell this out.I listened to my own better judgement in voting no and not due to the populist spin that was spouted by a party of pocket lining politicians that is Fianna Fail.Also for the record , the current government are no better.Thank you.
”Just goes to show how out of touch with the county these clowns are.”
– they are in touch with Frankfurt and their bosses – that to them is far more important – we are only fleas on a chessboard .
I voted to reject an ill advised amendment. I did not, never have and probably never will, vote for Fianna Fail.
My No vote was not the result of Enda Kenny skipping a debate or anything to do with anyone’s personality. I voted No because the argument for a Yes vote didn’t hold water. Of course, the fact that the Yes campaign was based on deceit and misdirection was a bit of a giveaway that they in fact had no good argument to make.
Next time put together a proposal for how the government should work in the future. Clearly communicate that vision. Then put together a realistic plan to get us there. Then and only then will it be appropriate to have a referendum to start making fundamental changes.
Well said Aidan
Well said also Gavin Hoey.
Like it not FF campaigning for a NO was a vital factor in the NO victory. That’s not to say that the victory is entirely theirs and I am not sure they are claiming it as such. There were a number of other vital factors and contributions that delivered the result. But had they supported the YES, like the populist SF, then the result would have been different and be in no doubt about that.
the people have spoken . HOW COULD FF BE TRUSTED WITH POWER AGAIN
I agree with it was a vote by the people that their is a need to have a second house government from any of the main parties Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael cannot be trusted
Which County ?
Why do political parties think they have swayed peoples vote.not mine i voted no of my own volition
FF through policies that destroyed this country.
“Put” through
Dave that is rubbish. You just want someone to blame for your own mistakes.
They hardly did a good job now, did they?
Richard,
I strongly believe that history will show Prom Night to actually be the moment the country was led to bankruptcy.
Until that night, this Government had opportunity to reverse the previous ones mistakes and to question it’s obligations in relation to a guarantee based on fraudulent statements made by the banks.
@Seanie where have you been living? On the moon if you think FF have not responsible for most of the grief this country is in. FG aren’t much better but FF should be consigned to history.
FF make me sick to my stomach.Never forget FF are the party that turned this country into a cesspit.
Hear hear. Never forget.
What about the labour/FG controlled city councils that handed out crazy planning permission during the boom. Are they blameless?
We were all better off under FF even the people coming in from other countries ye are just a bunch of hippacrits
Hi lads sorry to burst your bubble but fianna fail had nothing to do with it , people dont trust enda -plain and simple . By the way if the motion was to abolish Fianna Fail it would have passed!!!
Rubbish. FF have been polling 26-28% in several polls. If there was an election this year Micheal Martin would be looking at forming the Govt.
Your are mistaking your own beliefs as concurrent with the electorates.
Seanie, keep going. You’re a barrel of laughs.
Nothing to do with Fianna Fail as they would have done the same if they were in power. Never forget its them that got us into the current mess. Fingers crossed for the no result
I voted no… My decision had NOTHING to do with Fianna Fail!
The evidence suggests that for most people it did. People looked at the debates and considered who they trusted. Micheal Martin spoke from the heart and made the difference.
This is a game changing victory for defending democracy in Ireland and for Fianna Fail.
How can you speak for most people.are you really suggesting we need fodder from political failures to make our minds up
I saying that people responded to reasoned argument and the leadership provided. Fianna Fail’s base is till around 26-28% and the party worked hard to get that vote out.
People might have wanted a No but it was the FF voter base that took the effort to turn out. Let us not pretend that FF did not drive the result.
As a limerick man I have to say niall Collins is a clown, he desperately wants to be minister for justice when he is clearly more qualified to be the minister for buffoonery.
If Niall Collins what does that say about you a moron perhaps or worse.
English please, are ye related? Both of ye have a problem with the English language.
Drop dead Dalai.
“Ye”
seanie ryan, the fianna fail man who said that if sinn fein got into power that the army and guards would be replaced by ira men.
still rflmfao at that one……….lol………….lmao……………lol lol lol lol lmao……………..aaahhhhhhh ha ha ha
Dalai Obama not your real name I’d say why don’t you show your face and your real name or are you too gutless come on be a man
I voted the way I voted having read and researched myself, not because of some campaign by any of the politicians :)
Bravo, this country needs more people like you. Well done on taking the time to read up on it and going out to vote.
Yeah and yese did a grand job of demolishing the country too lads
What an absolute ass. Its obvious the people didn’t take one single iota notice of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour or Sinn Fein. Even the bloody socialists supported the government on this for the love of god! The Seanad was always going to be a difficult one and I for one was surprised polls suggested it would be a landslide. Asking people to abolish a parliament in favour of possible further reform of an existing one which was given very poor reform in the past two years on the back of major reform promises given during the election? I for one didn’t feel comfortable with that proposal and would prefer the very very slim chance that the Seanad may well one day actually do something useful in its current form and I hoped (but don’t expect) reform of the parliament if we voted No.
Fianna Fail were the party who came out with various reports on reform and the Seanad, including one which gave the costing for the running of the parliament. They switched sides late on purely for political reasons and not for the good of the people. This is a party that has not changed since being booted out of office.
Just like when they came out against the property tax having signed up to it under the Troika MOU… ‘Its the wrong time…’
Bunch of hypocrites… It’s becoming next to impossible to support any political party in the country. A new political party / perspective is needed (I don’t mean a party like Direct Democracy or a form of ‘New Labour’ mind…)
FF didnt even put together legimate reasons for a NO vote … what a bunch of noobs …. we should have a vote to abolish the dail
Fianna Fail, do not think for one moment that a no vote here, should it be realised, is an endorsement of your party or your arguments during the campaign. You changed opinion on this topic mid stream, had ample time in power to address reform. Also, political point scoring rhetoric against other parties is nauseating, you scrotes.
My 7 year old couldn’t understand why anybody would want to vote to abolish the shannon. Poor lad genuinely thought that was going to be end of the Shannon river for ever!
People voted no as a vote against the government and Enda Kenny. Some of course there were those fearful of the legal implications of abolishing the Seanad. Some just wanted to see it stay. Whatever peoples reasons, FF had little or nothing to do with peoples decision. The Irish people are waking up, our memories are little longer than these traitors think.
Angela look in the mirror before you call people traitors
Angela you are fairly deluded if you think FF hadn’t a big hand in the no victory I’d say the most of ye sending in messages are the far left and Sinn Fein lapdogs
It’s the people that regardless of political affiliation that voted No or Yes. We still care that little much about democracy. Fianna Fáil sh*t all over the constitution for years. I didn’t because of any party you you fool.
Aaaaaaahahahahahahahahaha Fianna Failure are still deluded
I voted no but never in my lifetime would give FF a vote.
FF trying to big up M Martin . He’s a throwback to Bertie and Cowen and they must feel at this stage that he’s a liability. Result has sfa to do with so called FF campaign
The audacity of FF to think that they swayed people to vote no. my no vote had nothing to do with their opinions on the abolition of the Seanad. can’t get over the cheek of them.
Agree with Hazel…..Whatever kudos FF got by the good No vote , they blew it with arrogant statements like that..
Those FF statements assume that people looked to their politicians for guidance…Wrong Lads…People used their brains for guidance…!!
FF are sewer rats.
You would know about sewer rats being one yourself
That the best you can do you, FF pond life?
I voted of my own accord. But it’s nice to see enda getting one in the eye. Wonder will he show his face or will state commisar bryan dobson be allowed to show it
There’s no end to this party’s arrogance, why do they still even have a voice, the people keeping them up must all live in burrows.
FF can go f**k off.
The blind arrogance of the Fianna Fail mindset never cease to amaze & disgust me! I voted No precisely because I dread the thought of their ilk having unfettered power if re-elected to government. The Seanad needs reform but the citizens of this country also need a system of checks & balances in place to maintain an eye on government policy. Mary Robinson was never an elected politican but she came to prominence as a Senator. A reformed Seanad with people of her integrity could make a powerful contribution to this country …
What a completely deluded individual and party. The smugness and arrogance of FF hasn’t gone away in the slightest.
No argument won or lost this, it was a shite ballot paper that caused mass confusion.
people couldn’t understand a simple ta/nil, put the x in the box?
Don’t be so quick to take credit Fianna Fail….a No vote in the Abolition of the Seanad Referendum wasn’t in any way a vote of confidence in the Fianna Fail party.
I voted to keep the Senate not because of FF, but in spite of FF, wanting to keep it!
I voted no, because what believed not because of what the shower of wasters in FF said
FF put this country on its knees… They done more damage than good in the past. I hope to good God people remember the shower of idiots they are. They had nothing to do with my No vote full stop
I went against party allegiances by voting no. Reform the whole system
The Irish electorate had a vote to reform government, they chose to continue to be governed by the elite for the elite
The mind boggles
Anybody heard from ritchie rogers today? Has he gone and changed his name again?
No votes have everything to do with ff, end of story. Why didn’t they reform it when the were in power and by look of their support they’ll be back in power again to make another of the country and the people of this country deserve it.
Yeara ya, FF made me do it.
They are certainly the party of demolition. Can’t argue with that.
‘The party’s diretor of elections’ – ‘diretor’ should read ‘director’.
says the unionist fcukpig dictator Patrick lyons.
Forgive my language. I wish those w&nkers would F@@k off. Martin had absolutely no hand in my decision to vote no. Hateful b@stards the lot of them and this is coming from an ardent FF supporter. Never again!
Collins you idiot , just how thick do you think we are . The creeping mistrust of the political system which contributed to the no vote is largely based on our experience of the incompetence of your party . … You and your like make me want to f”@&£&@” scream
Shut up Seanie… FF like new Labour in England did just looked at the polls and backed a winning horse! Now they have succeeded in their heads to separate themselves and their so called policies from FG and create a viable opposition! It’s crap and I don’t buy it!
Kevin
Fianna fail may not have swayed ever voter but at least they provided opposition, alternatives and debate.
The past failures during the tiger were due to a failure of genuine opposition, debate and contrary opinions. Those who failed to oppose and do their paid duty of opposition unburdened by governing are now ministers. The duty of the opposition is to oppose and challenge for the good ofall and as such are the key regulators in democracy… Let’s see no if our leaders can provide real reform as they promised…..people are judged by their promises…..oh wait….
So Robert now ff are to blame for all the cuts the present government have to make! I know your answer: no. The truth is ff made a shite of the country when they were in power and history will show they’ll do it again and again. And it was nothing to do with the opposition. And what did seanad do, sweet fa
The Government won no matter what the result, If the people had voted YES then they achieved their objective and as it looks the people voted NO, the people can no longer moan about the Seanad. A WIN-WIN for Enda peeps!
I think the FF people will be delighted that they were on the winning side. Their battle is with SF and I think SF backed the wrong horse. They went from a pro-Seanad stance to a view to abolish in the past few years. Similarly, I think SF picked the yes side for the very same motives, they got it wrong.
However, you cannot entirely dismiss the FF contribution to this victory. They still maintain significant grassroots support and membership throughout the country and with a victory of less than 48,000 votes, you can’t completely discount their contribution to the debate and subsequent outcome.
I wouldn’t be going that far, Niall.
have your say