Danny Fitzsimons
This case summary is being revised and will be updated soon
Court |
Karkh Criminal Court, Iraq |
Decision date |
28 February 2011 |
Keywords |
Iraq, Murder, Private Military Security Contractors, PTSD, United Kingdom, self-defence |
Other countries involved |
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back to topLegally relevant facts
Fitzsimons was working as a contractor for the UK security firm ArmorGroup, now a part of G4S. He allegedly murdered his fellow contractors, Briton Paul McGuigan and Australian Darren Hoare, following an argument between the three men. In addition to the murders, Fitzsimons was also accused of wounding an Iraqi security guard while attempting to leave the scene of the crime.
At trial, Fitzsimons admitted that he shot the two men but argued that it was in self-defense. He claimed to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), stemming from his previous military experiences abroad.
back to topCourt's holding and analysis
The Iraqi court considered Fitzsimons's PSTD argument and sentenced him to 20 years in prison for the shooting and murder of two of his colleagues in August 2009. He was also convicted for an attempting to kill the Iraqi security guard. Fitzsimons is the first Westener convicted in Iraq since the 2003 invasion. (In 2009, a US-Iraqi security agreement lifted immunity from prosecution for foreigners.)
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