A panel of seven senior British Army officers has retired to consider its verdict in a court martial relating to the death of an Irish man during a live firing exercise.

Ranger Michael Maguire, 21, from County Cork, was killed by a stray bullet in a live shooting exercise in Pembrokeshire in May 2012.

Ranger Maguire of the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, was one of several soldiers who came under machine gun fire during the exercise in Wales in preparation for deployment to Kenya.

Ranger Maguire had joined the battalion in 2010 and had done a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Captain Jonathan Price, 32, is accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of Ranger Maguire by failing to set up and supervise a safe exercise.

Two others - Lt Colonel Richard Bell and Warrant Officer Stuart Pankhurst - are accused of negligently performing a duty in relation to the exercise.

All three deny the charges against them.

The court martial, which began last month in Bulford in Wiltshire, has heard claims that the accused showed a total disregard for the safety of those involved in the exercise and that they could have put people on a public beach in danger.

The prosecution alleges that Capt Price failed to attend a reconnaissance, or recce, of the range when preparing a Range Action Safety Plan (Rasp) and that he placed targets too close together when setting up the exercise.

Lt Col Bell, the senior planning officer, is accused of failing to review or counter-sign the Range Action Safety Plan produced by Capt Price and failing to supervise or support him.

Staff Sgt Pankhurst, who was supervising the exercise involving Ranger Maguire, is accused of failing to express any caution or concern, despite having attended the recce and having knowledge of the extent of adjacent shooting.

A panel of seven senior officers comprised of five men and two women is adjudicating the case.