Middleton man's Iraq murder trial delayed

Danny Fitzsimons' murder trial has been delayed until next month.

The murder trial of a Middleton man has been delayed so that doctors can undertake psychiatric reports of him.

Danny Fitzsimons, 33, is standing trial in Baghdad, Iraq, accused of killing two of his former work colleagues.

Paul McGuigan, from Scotland, and Darren Hoare, from Australia, were shot dead in August 2009.

The accused man from Middleton worked with the two victims for ArmorGroup, a security firm which was operating in Iraq at the time of the murders.

Mr Fitzsimons' trial is due to resume on 18 February after he was referred to a medical board to assess his state of mind at the time of the incident.

Mr Fitzsimons served eight years in the British Army, taking part in tours during the Balkans conflict and in Iraq, and family and friends believe that he continued to suffer mental anguish from events that he witnessed while he was in the forces.