Widow loses damages action over husband killed in Iraq

The widow of a security consultant shot dead during an ambush in Iraq lost her High Court damages action today.

Julian Davies, 39, from Barry, south Wales, a former SAS reservist, was shot in the head through the windscreen while driving in a convoy in Mosul in June 2004.

At the time of his death, he was employed by a security firm, Global Strategies Group, helping with post-conflict reconstruction projects.

The case brought by his wife, Joanne Davies, who was claiming more than £300,000 compensation, was that the vehicle should have had bullet-resistant glass.

Mr Davies, a former sergeant attached to the 21 SAS reserves at Raglan Barracks, Newport, who had also served with the Royal Marines and the Parachute Regiment, died after being airlifted to hospital.

Mrs Davies who lived in Halifax, Yorkshire and worked as a supply teacher at the time, told Mr Justice Burnett in July that her husband loved the military life but she did not like him going to dangerous areas.

She said the couple, whose son Matthew is now 11, talked about having another child.

But the judge, in London, found against Mrs Davies in favour of Global Strategies Group (Hong Kong) Ltd and Global Strategies Group (United Kingdom) Ltd, who denied liability.

He said he was satisfied that it was "not reasonably practicable" to fit a bullet-resistant windscreen to the Toyota Landcruiser in which Mr Davies was travelling before the fatal attack.

"It follows that the claimant has not established any causative breach of duty on the part of the defendants," he added.