Lighting strike claims four lives

Lighting strike claims four lives	1.04.2008

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Latest Comments:

What I still don't understand is why is his name on the wall of remembrance with alongside the names of soldiers who died in battles during other wars?I'm sorry for his family and children who have lost their loved one, but I just don't get why such a big deal was made of this.I'm with fact hurts comment 15, how much money has been spent on this one incident?
Posted by: don`t know of NSW 4:18pm today

So....the findings are an almost identical set of findings to those of the Military board of inquiry - except that now Jake has been denied dignity. What is wrong with these people!?!?! (I doubt anyone will be saying it was worth it). On the plus side, at least the taxpayers are footing the cost, don't want it going on hospitals or schools etc.BTW John Wilson has a point. Not every soldier carries a side arm (service pistol) as well as their assault rifle. However there are many exemptions to this and as a Sniper, in the field Jake would absolutely have carried one (So a Sniper Rifle and a Browning HiPower pistol for personal defence).
Posted by: Brett of Gold Coast 4:10pm today

This whole circus has robbed a dead man of his dignity. His mother for unreasonably dragged this out,shame on an incompetent military inquiry. And SHAME ON THE MEDIA ESPECIALLY; for making public every sordid detail about the dead man`s life.
Posted by: Disgusted 4:08pm today

and his family & friends were adamant that he was not the sort that would do that kind of thing? Obviously they were mistaken. Good thing case is closed. Wonder how much tax payers money involved in this...
Posted by: fact hurts of sydney 4:05pm today

Good, thank the almighty that this farce is over. I am well over this guy and how he died.
Posted by: Wizard-Of-OZ 3:54pm today

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Gunshot `irresponsibly self-inflicted` said Kovco jury
Said he probably didn`t know gun was loaded
Military inquiry found Kovco was `skylarking`

A JURY in the inquest into the death of soldier Jake Kovco has found he died from an "irresponsibly self-inflicted" gunshot wound.

The jury at Glebe Coroner`s Court was unable to rule on whether Private Kovco knew the pistol was loaded, but found on the balance of probabilities that he did not intentionally take his own life.

Pte Kovco, 25, died when he was shot in the head with his own service pistol in the Australian Embassy barracks in Baghdad on April 21, 2006.

A military inquiry found the soldier shot himself while "skylarking" with his gun, but the inquest examined other possibilities.

After almost two months of evidence, the jury of three men and three women retired yesterday to consider its verdict.

Counsel assisting the inquest, John Agius SC had asked the panel to canvas six options, ranging from suicide to an open finding on who pulled the trigger.

However, the jury rejected those options and drafted its own verdict.

`Consistent`

The Department of Defence says the jury`s finding is consistent with the findings of its own inquiry, handed down in 2006.

Defence spokesman Brigadier Andrew Nikolic said the jury`s findings were consistent with that of the 2006 military inquiry into the incident, which found Pte Kovco shot himself while "skylarking" with the pistol.

"This finding by an independent jury is consistent with the finding of the defence board of inquiry, which was an equally thorough and comprehensive process," he said.

"You will recall that the defence board of inquiry concluded that Private Kovco died as a result of the inappropriate handling of his personal weapon, a Browning 9mm self loading pistol.

"The board of inquiry also ruled out any finding that Private Kovco was murdered or that he committed suicide."

The Sydney inquest`s findings should provide Pte Kovco`s family, friends and colleagues with "some certainty" in regards to the soldier`s death, Brigadier Nikolic said.

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