Shot captain knew he was in danger on exercise had called for ceasefire

A Parachute Regiment captain was shot during an exercise moments after he called for all firing to cease because he feared he was in the line of fire, an inquest was told yesterday.

"Almost simultaneously you could hear shouts of `stop' and a burst of gunfire," Major Hans Carruthers told the hearing.

Captain Christopher Kelly, 26, of the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment, and from Crowthorne, Berkshire, was shot on 25 March last year in a night-attack manoeuvre during a live ammunition training exercise in Kenya. He was flown to Britain but died on 1 May.

The inquest at Southwark was told that Capt Kelly was supervising the safety of the anti-tank platoon. Major Carruthers said Capt Kelly requested a "check-fire" - for all men to stop firing - minutes before he was shot, as he suspected he was in the lineof fire.

The hearing was adjourned until today.