Leicester father expects 'no justice' over MH17 crash

Richard was travelling between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur as he made his way to Australia

The father of a man killed on board a plane which was shot down over east Ukraine believes the people responsible will "never be bought to justice".

Richard Mayne, 20, of Leicester, was on his way to Australia when flight MH17 crashed over conflict-hit Ukraine.

International arrest warrants have been issued for four suspects charged with bringing a missile into the area and murdering 298 passengers and crew.

Russia said the accusations against its military were "absolutely threadbare".

Elizabeth and Simon Mayne are planning to travel to the Netherlands next month for the five-year anniversary of their son's death

Richard was due to spend a year in Australia, after two years studying maths and finance at Leeds University.

Simon Mayne said his son was off to have "the time of his life" but died "in the most horrendous, tragic and horrific fashion."

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Mr Mayne took his son to Birmingham airport on 17 July 2014 where he caught his flight via Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur.

The family learned about the crash on TV news later that day.

"There was this burning inferno," Mr Mayne said. "Richard was one of only 30 bodies that came back relatively intact."

Russia's foreign ministry has rejected the findings of investigators, claiming they were aimed at "discrediting the Russian Federation"

After a five-year investigation, authorities in the Netherlands have charged three Russians and a Ukrainian with shooting down flight MH17.

Mr Mayne said: "I would like to see these people rot in jail for the rest of their lives but I know that's never going to happen. They'll never be extradited."

However, he said the trial, due to begin in the Netherlands on 9 March 2020, is a "very good second best" and it should make the Kremlin feel "very uncomfortable".

"I've always known, because of Russia's involvement in this, they will never be bought to justice," he said.

The Russian foreign ministry has rejected the findings of the Dutch-led investigation team.

Mr Mayne and his family are planning to travel to the Netherlands next month for anniversary commemorations.