Ministry of Defence is slammed over death of ‘model son’ soldier shot in back of the head on night-time exercise but will face no financial penalty due to legal loophole [Video]

12:54 EDT 08 May 2024, updated 13:01 EDT 08 May 2024

The Ministry of Defence has been slammed over the death of a young soldier who was shot in the back of the head while carrying out a night-time exercise but it will face no financial penalty due to a legal loophole.    

Conor McPherson, 24, a private in the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, died while training at the Heely Dod firing range in Otterburn, Northumberland, on August 22, 2016.

His father described him as a ‘model son’ and said the family have been left facing a future of ‘deep sorrow’.

But although McPherson’s loved ones are still ‘coming to terms’ with what happened, it has been revealed that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will not face any financial penalties following the incident due to a legal loophole.

The MoD cannot face prosecution in the same way as non-Government bodies and a Crown censure is the maximum …