Sally Oxley, the widow of Colour Sgt Anthony Oxley, is seeking justice and accountability over her husband’s death, following a new ruling in a fresh inquest into the incident.
Anthony Oxley, a 40-year-old British soldier, died after being hit by a car driven by a US serviceman at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on June 14, 2016. He was riding a motorbike when the collision occurred, and despite being taken to a Cypriot hospital outside the airbase, he succumbed to head injuries.
Talking to the BBC, Mrs Oxley, residing in Barnsley, has expressed her frustration at being left in the dark about the details surrounding her husband’s death. The initial British inquest in Wakefield in February 2018 recorded a narrative verdict, citing the cause of death as head injuries resulting from a road traffic collision.
Pushing for a fresh inquest in Cyprus, Mrs Oxley aimed to explore witness accounts of the incident. According to her lawyers, a judge acting as a coroner in a Nicosia district court suggested last month that Colour Sgt Oxley’s route was impeded or blocked.
Expressing her satisfaction with the initial interpretation of the inquest verdict, Mrs Oxley stated, “The proceedings in Nicosia have at last started to establish the truth, justice, and accountability about the death of my husband, and the father of our children, ‘The Ox,’ which I have been striving for eight years now.”
Mrs Oxley will consult with her legal team to determine the next steps. KRW Law, representing her, highlighted that despite the incident occurring within British sovereign territory, the US Air Force assumed control of the investigation, keeping many details confidential.
The law firm is awaiting a certified translation of the coroner’s verdict from the Nicosia court. Evidence presented included forensic material, witness statements, and maps of the collision terrain.
A spokesperson for the British Army expressed condolences to Colour Sergeant Anthony Oxley’s family and reiterated ongoing support. Reuters contacted the US Air Force for comment, but no response has been received as of the report’s publication.
(With information from the BBC)
