A British Army veteran was shot in the head fighting Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

Oxford Coroner’s Court heard that Jordan Gatley, 24, had travelled to Ukraine on March 18, following President Putin’s invasion, and joined the International Legion attached to the Ukrainian armed forces.

Mr Gatley, who lived in Ettiley Heath, Cheshire, was shot dead during a gun battle with Russian forces in Sieverodonetsk on June 10.

A post-mortem examination had been carried out after the soldier’s body was repatriated to the UK. The cause of his death was found to be a gunshot wound to the head. He was identified from dental records.

Senior coroner Darren Salter, who opened the inquest into Mr Gatley’s death on Tuesday, fixed the full inquest for November 15.

Inquests into the deaths of soldiers abroad are commonly dealt with at Oxford Coroner's Court, as the bodies of the servicemen and women are flown to RAF Brize Norton, near Carterton.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

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