First British soldier to be killed after volunteering to fight for Ukraine died after being hit by mortar, inquest hears
- Scott Sibley, aged 36 years, was officially declared dead in April 22 this year
- He died when his position in Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine was shelled
- The coroner heard he was struck by a mortar and received fatal injuries
- The inquest comes just days after a second former British soldier died in battle
- Jordan Gatley, who left the British Army in March, was shot and killed on Friday
An inquest into the first confirmed death of a British soldier in the Ukraine conflict has found the volunteer was killed in a mortar attack.
Scott Sibley, aged 36 years, was officially declared dead on April 22, little more than a month after he had entered the conflict.
His position in southern Ukraine was shelled by Russian artillery, the Oxfordshire coroner heard.
The inquest heard that Mr Sibley’s cause of death was listed as penetrative fragment injuries to his chest and abdomen, though the coroner added he had not received the full post-mortem examination.
Opening the inquest today at Oxford Coroner’s Court, senior coroner Darren Salter said: ‘Often it is the case that the information might not be 100 per cent accurate, as there has not been the time to collect all of the evidence.
Mr Salter continued: ‘Mr Sibley was identified by his dental records on May 25 at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. The details of this 36-year-old was that he was a former petroleum operator for the British Army. He joined the Ukraine army and was deployed to the Foreign Nationals.
‘Mr Sibley volunteered for a task and spent three days in a foxhole. On the third day a new team arrived to replace his position but the foxhole came under attack. Shelling started and a shell landed beside the foxhole.
‘Mr Sibley then moved to the next foxhole when a mortar struck him, causing him fatal injuries.’
Scott Sibley, aged 36 years, was officially declared dead in April 22 this year, little more than a month after he had entered the conflict, after being hit by a Russian mortar strike in southern Ukraine
Scott Sibley is pictured in an Oct 2018 BBC report with his daughter Charlotte-Rose who was undergoing chemotherapy
Mr Sibley, 36, from north-east Lincolnshire, previously served in Afghanistan as a member of a specialist logistics unit attached to the Royal Marines
The coroner explained that Mr Sibley’s body was returned to the UK following his death in Ukraine as a result of the mortar strike.
His identity was confirmed by dental records and was supported by a distinct tattoo.
An official statement from the coroner’s officer said Mr Sibley was a divorcee from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, who travelled to Ukraine on March 13. His death was verified by field doctor R.V. Gerasimov.
The coroner concluded the opening inquest this afternoon and adjourned the full hearing until November 15.
The inquest into Mr Sibley’s death comes just days after another Brit was killed fighting in Ukraine on Friday.
Jordan Gatley, who left the British Army in March, was reportedly killed in the eastern city of Severodonetsk where the fiercest fighting of the war so far is taking place.
His father Dean Gatley, from Cheshire, said the ‘hero’ former soldier travelled to Ukraine after Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine of February 24.
In an emotional tribute confirming the news, Dean wrote on Facebook: ‘I didn’t think that I’d ever use social media in this way but Sally, Adam and I would like to share some family news with all our friends, but there are just too many people to contact.
‘Yesterday (10/06/22) we received the devastating news that our son, Jordan, has been shot and killed in the city of Severodonetsk, Ukraine,’ he wrote, while posting pictures of Jordan as a child and in his military uniform.
Explaining the circumstances, Dean continued: ‘Jordan left the British Army in March this year to continue his career as a soldier in other areas. The war against Europe had begun so, after careful consideration, he went to the Ukraine to help.
Jordan Gatley (left and right), who left the British Army in March, was reportedly killed in the eastern city of Severodonetsk where the fiercest fighting of the war so far is taking place. Dean Gatley (pictured right with Jordan), from Cheshire, said the former soldier travelled to Ukraine after Vladimir Putin ordered his soldiers into Ukraine of February 24
The gutted remains of cars lie along a road during heavy fighting at the front line in Severodonetsk, Luhansk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 8, 2022
Jordan Gatley was killed fighting in Ukraine’s eastern city of Severodonetsk, his family said. The battle for the city has seen some of the fiercest fighting of the war so far. Pictured: Smoke and dirt rise from shelling in the city of Severodonetsk during fight between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7, 2022
‘We have had several messages from his team out there telling us of his wealth of knowledge, his skills as a soldier and his love of his job. His team say they all loved him, as did we, and he made a massive difference to many people’s lives, not only soldiering, but also by training the Ukrainian forces,’ he said.
Dean wrote that his son and his unit in Ukraine were ‘so proud’ of what they were doing in the embattled country, and that the missions they were undertaking were ‘dangerous, but necessary.’
‘He loved his job and we are so proud of him. He truly was a hero and will forever be in our hearts,’ he said.
In a statement to MailOnline, the Foreign Office said it was ‘supporting the family of a British man who has died in Ukraine.’
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