Ex-soldier in Iraq murder trial hearing

A fresh hearing is being held in the trial of a security guard accused of killing two colleagues in Iraq.

Danny Fitzsimons, from Middleton, is the first Westerner to go on trial in an Iraqi court since a 2009 US–Iraqi security agreement lifted immunity for foreign contractors.

If found guilty, he could face a possible death sentence in Iraq.

A verdict is thought to be imminent in the Baghdad trial which was delayed to allow for psychiatric reports to be prepared.

The 30-year-old is accused of killing Paul McGuigan, of Peebles, Scotland, and Darren Hoare, of Queensland, Australia, both 37 on 9 August, 2009.

All three men were working for the British security firm ArmorGroup Iraq.

The ex–soldier’s family says he is suffering from post–traumatic stress disorder as a result of his experiences serving with the Army in the former Yugoslavia and as a private security guard in Iraq.