New inquest into Wakefield soldier's Cyprus crash death adjourned

A decorated soldier, Colour Sgt Oxley was a drum major, but had also fought in four wars

An inquest into the death of a British soldier who was hit by a car driven by a US serviceman in Cyprus has been opened and adjourned.

Colour Sgt Anthony Oxley was riding a motorbike on 14 June 2016 when he was struck at the RAF Akrotiri base.

The 40-year-old, from Ryhill, near Wakefield, died later in a Cypriot hospital outside the airbase.

His widow Sally Oxley said she was "very frustrated" the inquest in Cyprus had been adjourned for a fifth time.

The 45-year-old, who lives near Barnsley, said she was hoping to get answers into the circumstances of her husband's death on Monday.

"I'm praying that I get the outcome that I want, which is not death by a head injury because that's not rocket science.

"I'm due to fly back to the UK on Saturday and now I have to stay here so it is very frustrating and very costly. But I have to be here. I've seen it so far, I can't just go."

Sally Oxley said she had been left with many "unanswered questions" regarding her husband's death

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.

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

It previously told the BBC the American driver was "not charged with any crimes".

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

Since then she has been pushing for a new inquest in the UK after evidence showed the driver had suddenly taken a right-hand turn on the wrong side of the road, cutting the junction in front of her husband, Mrs Oxley said.

Sally Oxley said she was "not going to stop until we get answers" over her husband's death

In April, her legal team submitted a request to the attorney general for England and Wales, seeking permission to go to the High Court and appeal for a fresh inquest.

In a statement, the US Air Force previously 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."