Thomas Coke-Smyth represented the widow and new partner of Cpl Hatfield who had died in an explosion in a Challenger 2 tank during a live firing exercise on a range in Wales.
Tom successfully questioned and challenged senior army officers who suggested that the practice of leaving explosive charges out of storage bins had been an isolated failing on the part of Cpl Hatfield. The Coroner’s determination rejected that the explosion had been caused by a failure on the part of Cpl Hatfield and focused upon failing by the Ministry of Defence and BAE.
Counsel was instructed by Michael Davison of Hogan Lovells.
This inquest was reported widely in the press by ITV, the Guardian, and the BBC.
Thomas Coke-Smyth