Wakefield crash death soldier inquest in Cyprus 'soul destroying'

Sally Oxley said she was still "haunted" by the final hours of her husband's life in hospital

The widow of a British soldier killed in a crash at an RAF base in Cyprus has called for the American driver involved to "come clean and tell the truth".

Colour Sgt Anthony Oxley died after he was hit by a car driven by a US serviceman on 14 June 2016.

Sally Oxley said attending an inquest in Cyprus on the eve of the seventh anniversary of his death was "soul destroying".

The US Air Force said the driver was "not charged with any crimes".

Colour Sgt Oxley, 40, from Ryhill, near Wakefield, had been riding a motorbike while on base at RAF Akrotiri when he was struck.

He died later in a Cypriot hospital outside the airbase. As a result, an inquest hearing into his death was held on Tuesday but adjourned until September.

A British inquest in Wakefield in February 2018 recorded a narrative verdict and found the cause of death was head injuries as a result of a road traffic collision.

A decorated soldier, Colour Sgt Oxley was a drum major but had also fought in four wars including Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan

The US Air Force took charge of the crash investigation and few details were made public.

However, Mrs Oxley, who has since been pushing for a new inquest, said there was evidence showing the driver had suddenly taken a right-hand turn on the wrong side of the road, cutting the junction in front of her husband.

The 45-year-old, who lives near Barnsley, believes the US and UK authorities had "failed" to disclose information regarding the crash, with evidence contradicting that of the US account.

"This man has stripped my daughter of her father and a very, very good father and a good man. This has got to stop, this needs an end to it and the only way that's going to happen is [for him to] come clean and tell the truth," said Mrs Oxley.

"I don't want to be in Cyprus but I've got to be there, the day before his anniversary.

"It's soul destroying but I have to be there. I have to go. I need to make sure that my husband gets justice."

Skid marks show the driver had made a sudden right-turn on the wrong side of the road, Mrs Oxley said

Colour Sgt Oxley's damaged motorbike following the crash on 14 June 2016

This latest inquest in Cyprus is the second in under two years, both conducted by the Cypriot government.

The first was adjourned last year after Mrs Oxley was given a file containing witness statements an hour before the hearing was due to start.

"You can't hide the truth and the facts without it going to surface at some point and it's now surfaced," she said.

"It's appalling. It's absolutely disgusting what they have done to this family.

"First of all my husband served for 21 years for this country. He wasn't just a name, rank and number. He's got medals and medals. That means nothing to any of them, but it does to us.

"Shame on them."

Sally Oxley paid tribute to a "kind, caring and very hard working" soldier who was "very family orientated"

Mrs Oxley's solicitor Christopher Stanley has been working pro-bono to help the widow. He said they were still awaiting a decision from the Attorney General three months after submitting an application for a fresh UK inquest.

"We will be chasing them again and if necessary, be putting out a pre-action letter to say you've got to make a decision one way or the other."

Mr Stanley said if their application was refused they "may consider challenging the decision".

In a statement, the US Air Force said: "US Forces assumed authority for the investigation in coordination with UK officials and in line with the UK Visiting Forces Act.

"At the conclusion of the investigation, the US service member was not charged with any crimes due to the nature of the vehicle accident."

The Ministry of Defence said: "Our thoughts remain with Sgt Oxley's family and we continue to offer support to them during this difficult time.

"It would be inappropriate to comment while the inquest is ongoing."

The Attorney General's Office has been approached for a comment.