Death 'due to MoD's penny-pinching'

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Recording a narrative verdict, assistant deputy coroner for Oxfordshire Andrew Walker said Captain Daniel Wright would not have died if he had been equipped with a radio.

Speaking outside the court, the 25-year-old soldier's mother, Carol Wright, said: "For the sake of a flipping radio they have lost a potential star among their ranks. We ask the MoD to accept their penny-pinching has resulted in a far greater use of public funds - for example, the cost of this court case."

The week-long inquest in Oxford heard that Capt Wright deployed his reserve chute 1.5 seconds too late after trying to rectify problems with his main chute.

The solider, a member of the Queen's Gurkha Signal Corps, died instantly after plummeting 2,500ft at Weston-on-the-Green airfield near RAF Brize Norton on November 17, 2005.

Recording the verdict, Mr Walker said Capt Wright would have deployed his reserve chute earlier if he had been able to communicate with those observing his jump from the ground.

"Let there be no doubt - this tragedy happened for the want of a simple, inexpensive piece of equipment," he said.

"Capt Wright, on the balance of probability, would not have died had an operator on the ground at the drop zone been able to communicate with him using a radio.

"At the time Capt Wright took the parachute course, requests for these radios had been refused."

Radios are now provided during military parachute training.