SALLY OXLEY SENDS VERDICT ON NICOSIA INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND TO ATTORNEY GENERAL IN HOPE OF A FRESH UK INVESTIGATION
SALLY OXLEY SENDS VERDICT ON NICOSIA INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND TO ATTORNEY GENERAL IN HOPE OF A FRESH UK INVESTIGATION
KRW LAW LLP (Belfast, Northern Ireland) is working with L. ZAMBARTAS LLC (Limassol and Paphos, Republic of Cyprus) pro bono to assist Sally Oxley in the matter of the death of her husband Anthony Oxley.
Colour Sergeant Oxley was killed following a fatal collision involving his motorcycle and a car driven by a USAF Serviceman. Both men were based at RAF Akrotiri, part of the UK Sovereign Base Authority (SBA), within the Republic of Cyprus.
Anthony Oxley was fatally injured in the collision in June 2016 and died at the General Hospital in Nicosia.
On 18 December 2023, a Judge sitting as a Coroner in the District Court in Nicosia, delivered his verdict following an inquest into the death of Anthony Oxley.
That verdict says, “I conclude that there is testimony before me which demonstrates that possibly the action, acts or omissions of third parties may have led to the death of the Deceased.”
The testimony referred to is that of a police officer employed by the MOD within the SBA who led the initial investigation into the accident in which Mr Oxley was involved. That SBA investigation led to a police report concluding “As such I believe sufficient evidence is at hand to successfully prosecute Steven J Shirley for Causing Death by Reckless/Dangerous Acts.”
Steven J Shirley was the USAF personnel who drove the motor vehicle involved in the collision. The USAF were granted jurisdiction over the investigation by the MOD despite the SBA Police having commenced an investigation and despite the fact that the fact accident occurred with UK sovereign territory.
The Judge in Nicosia has sent his verdict to the Attorney General of the Republic of Cyprus “for … further investigation and handling.”
An inquest into the death of Anthony Oxley was held in Wakefield, England in 2018. That process and verdict are being challenged by Mrs Oxley by way of an application to the Attorney General for England and Wales. That inquest recorded the cause of the death of Anthony Oxley as ‘Road Traffic Collision’. That verdict relied upon the USAF Report and not the evidence of the SBA Police. The USAF Report not disclosed to Mrs Oxley at the time of the inquest in England.
Based on the findings of the inquest in Nicosia and the failures of the inquest in Wakefield, Mrs Oxley now expects the Attorney General for England and Wales to request the High Cout to direct a fresh inquest into the death of her husband Anthony Oxley.
She also hopes that the Attorney General for the Republic of Cyprus, if able to do so, will direct a fresh criminal justice investigation into the collision and establish the possible criminal liability of Steven J Shirely or that the USAF will institute a similar investigation.