Will murder charge Briton come home?
Updated on 14 November 2009
The family and friends of a former paratrooper, due to stand trail in Iraq tomorrow accused of shooting dead two of his colleagues, have called for him to be returned to Britain.
Thirty-three-year-old Daniel Fitzsimons was working as a security guard in Baghdad when he allegedly gunned down the men during a row at their base this summer.
If Fitzsimons is convicted he could face the death penalty under Iraq's law.
His family and friends, who held a public meeting today, claim he has suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder following the things he witnessed while serving eight years in the British army, including tours of duty during the Balkans conflict and in Iraq.
They said he should be brought back to Britain for trial and treatment.
Fitzsimons allegedly shot dead Marine Paul McGuigan and Darren Hoare, both 37, in a compound in Baghdad in the early hours of 9 August.
All three men worked as private security guards for British security firm, ArmorGroup.
The fiancée of Mr McGuigan has spoken fondly of her late partner. She described him as a "very loving, very warm" family man and said he loved his job and felt he was "making a difference" in helping the war-torn country get back on its feet.
On the night of the double-killing Ms Prestage said the two had been talking for around four hours over the internet, as they did every night, with the contact ending at 12.03am. At 1.15am he was shot dead along with Mr Hoare.
"We said how much we loved each other then I got a text 10 minutes later saying I meant the world to him and he would meet me in dreamland later," Ms Prestage said.
He would normally call again the next morning but this time Ms Prestage was called by ArmorGroup.
"I got a telephone call at 7am saying Paul had been killed in an accidental shooting along with another guy.
"I thought they had got the wrong person, it could not be Paul. I asked them to ring back in 10 minutes. It was just disbelief that someone as precious as Paul could go.
"It was just really numb disbelief, I didn't feel like he had gone and left me. Even now 13 weeks on, it is just disbelief something like this could happen."
Ms Prestage said her understanding is the shooting did not happen in a bar but in a cabin in the compound the men were based at in the Iraqi capital.
"Paul basically knew this person for approximately one hour before this shooting took place. Danny arrived on camp that day.
"All we know is there's no self defence wounds on Paul and he had multiple gun shot wounds."
Ms Prestage said she had "no feelings" about Fitzsimons but wanted the trial to stay in Iraq after it was mooted it could be transferred to the UK - where the accused would not face capital punishment if convicted.
"It goes to trial on Sunday. I have got no views on what's going to happen to him. I just want Iraq to give justice the way they see fit."
