Final betrayal of the Red Caps: Useless radios, not enough ammo... and now, to their families' fury, the only Iraqis on trial have walked free

The families of six British military policemen killed by an Iraqi mob reacted with outrage yesterday after two men were cleared of the murders.



More than seven years on, the trial collapsed in Baghdad after prosecutors bizarrely asked for the charges to be dropped, admitting the evidence was not strong enough.



John Miller, whose son Simon, 21, was among the dead, said it was a 'disgrace' that there had been no public inquiry into the Red Cap massacre while £3.5million has been spent on an investigation into the death of one Iraqi in British Army custody.



'My son was let down so badly in life, now he has been let down in death,' said Mr Miller, 59, from Washington, Tyne and Wear.

The six military policemen killed by a mob in Iraq in 2003 were (top, from left) Sergeant Simon Alexander Hamilton-Jewell, Corporal Russell Aston, Corporal Paul Graham Long, (bottom, from left) Corporal Simon Miller, Lance-Corporal Benjamin John McGowan Hyde and Lance-Corporal Thomas Richard Keys

'It seems like the Iraqis don't have a justice system at all. To think 179 British soldiers died in Iraq, what a disgrace. Yet when one of them is killed, they get a public inquiry.'

This is the latest in a series of betrayals of the six and their families.

The Red Caps, who had been training local Iraqi officers, were attacked by a 500-strong crowd in the southern Iraqi town of Majar al-Kabir in June 2003, weeks after Saddam Hussein was toppled.

In an act of tribal vengeance, the mob had been hunting coalition forces and came upon the six Britons in a police station.



The military policemen had been sent into a 'powder-keg', unaware that a para unit had been involved in firefights with the mob, or that there was fury over rumours that four locals had been killed during a riot in the town's market square earlier that morning.



Grief: John and Marilyn Miller, with a picture of their son Simon who was one of the six military policemen killed in Iraq. Mr Miller has expressed his anger that no-one has been held accountable for the killings

Last stand: The burnt-out room in which three of the British soldiers died after a two-hour firefight with an Iraqi mob

An inquest in 2006 heard that the Red Caps had been given antiquated radios and inadequate ammunition, meaning they could not summon help or defend themselves.

Some of their bodies were found riddled with bullets while others had marks which suggested they had been dragged, tied up or beaten with rifles.

It was not until February this year that eight suspects were taken into custody, only for six to have the charges against them dropped.

The other two, Hamza Hateer and Mussa Ismael al Fartusi, were due to stand trial at Baghdad central criminal court yesterday.

But Chief Justice Baleagh Hamdi Hikmat dismissed the charges after nine witnesses testified that they had not seen the two accused kill any of the men.

Hateer and Fartusi were both freed from custody, but Hateer was referred for further investigation on one charge of stealing a British service weapon.

The tiny smoke-filled cell, riddled with bullet holes, where the six British military police sought cover before they were killed by angry Iraqis

Shaking his fists in victory outside the courtroom, Fartusi said: 'Thank God, I'm so happy now.'

The Red Caps' relatives have been campaigning for justice ever since their deaths. They have seen a public inquiry launched into the 2003 death in Army custody of Iraqi hotel receptionist Baha Mousa, 26. It is still continuing.

Another inquiry into the death of an Iraqi civilian, 19-year-old Hamid Al Sweady, has been announced but not yet begun. He died following a firefight between UK soldiers and Iraqi insurgents at a checkpoint on May 14, 2004.

But sources close to Defence Secretary Liam Fox stonewalled demands for a similar investigation into the Red Caps atrocity.

One said the case was still not over because seven other suspects were still being hunted by the Iraqi authorities. 'We want to do all we can to assist the Iraqis with that first.'

Reg Keys, whose son Lance Corporal Thomas Keys was among the six killed, said: 'These lads went into Iraq on a wild goose chase for weapons of mass destruction without the basic tools of their trade.



Anger: Reg Keys, front left, and John Miller, front right, pictured arriving at the 2006 inquest into their sons' deaths, have called for a public inquiry into the killings

A torched British Army Pinzgauer troop carrier, which was abandoned by the fleeing British men

'They didn't have the ammunition to defend themselves. They were let down in life, and today they've been let down in death. It's time for a full public inquiry.'

Mike Aston, 68, of Swadlincote, Derbyshire, whose son Russell was among the dead, said: 'It has been a charade from the start. There were never going to be convictions, just a public relations exercise. I had hoped that those accused might tell us what happened and I am being denied that.

'I want to know how my son died. I know he didn't surrender. He was shot 14 times with a highvelocity rifle. I believe he launched himself at the killers to protect his comrades.

'I would go to Iraq myself to look for answers but it is a lawless place. I can't go out there on my own so I have to go through my life bitter and not knowing.' Tory MP and former infantry commander Patrick Mercer said:

'Now that the families' hopes have been dashed with the trial, a inquiry seems only fair in order to let them have some rest.'

The coffin of Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell, one of the British Royal Military Policemen killed in the attack is carried from an aircraft at a repatriation ceremony at RAF Brize Norton, England

Jeffrey Donaldson, a member of the Commons defence select committee, added: 'Given the circumstances of these horrendous murders and now the release of the accused, there is a compelling reason for this to be examined in greater detail.

'After all, we had £200million spent on the Saville Inquiry to investigate the actions of the Parachute Regiment (on Bloody Sunday). Why, when the Army are victims, can we not get the money for an inquiry to get justice for their families?'

Before the trial, the families were told they would not be allowed access to court but updates would be emailed to them via the British Embassy in Baghdad and the MoD.

'We were led to believe the convictions would be a formailty,' said Mr Miller. 'We needed to be there. We were denied that, we were denied everything.'

He also attacked the UK government over its handling of the case, saying the relatives heard about the trial's collapse from the media before the authorities contacted them.

John Hyde - father of another of the six, Lance Corporal Benjamin Hyde, 23 - from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, condemned the trial as a 'farce'.







He said: ' Quite honestly these people just haven't been in court long enough to be able to prove their innocence, which obviously asks the question why did the judge decide to bring it to court then dismiss it so quickly?'

Byron Long, brother of Corporal Paul Graham Long, 24, fears the campaign for justice will now fade away. He said: 'There's nothing we could do now that would get any results. I don't think this was an actual court case at all - just a formality.'

Tony Hamilton-Jewell, brother of Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell, 41, said: 'I'm really disappointed, but I always feared nothing would come of this trial.'

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'We know that the families of the six servicemen will be devastated by today's events and our thoughts remain with them.

'Seven further arrest warrants remain outstanding and are being actively pursued by the Iraqi authorities. We will continue to do all we can to press for the prosecution of those responsible.'