Army mother's triple tragedy

A Midland mother who yesterday won a three year battle with the military when a coroner criticised the army over the death of her son has told of the triple tragedy that destroyed her family.

]Gunner Kenneth Laga, aged 22, was killed in a road accident while serving in Germany just eight months after his 24-year-old brother Leon fell victim to a fatal drugs overdose.

Their father, also named Leon, then collapsed and died from a massive heart attack four days after Christmas 2006 at the age of 53.

An inquest into the death of Kenneth Laga concluded at Dudley Coroners Court yesterday with Black Country Coroner Robin Balmain recording a narrative verdict.

Mr Balmain also attacked the military over mistakes made during the run up to the accident.

Speaking outside the inquest, Elaine Laga, who now lives alone in Kidderminster, said it had been the end of a long fight.

Gunner Laga was one of three soldiers killed when a Land Rover with an unqualified Army driver at the wheel careered out of control into a ditch in Gutersloh, Germany.

Disaster struck on a 10-mile trip between two barracks when Gunner Robert Buchan lost control while breaking the Army Land Rover speed limit as he accelerated away from a long bend in good conditions on August 31 2005.

The inquest had previously heard Gunner Buchan had never before been behind the wheel of a left hand drive military vehicle on German roads.

It was also told he had received an official permit to drive Army vehicles in that country despite not completing the required practical instruction and needing 11 attempts to pass the military theory test.

Mr Balmain branded the driver training scheme that was used "a shambles" and the official explanation why Gunner Buchan had been given a licence he was not qualified to hold as "defying belief."

At the inquest Gunner Buchan apologised to the families saying if he could put it right he would.

Mrs Laga, aged 53, said "I am the sole survivor of a family of four and blame the stress and strain surrounding the deaths of our sons for the loss of my husband.

"He had never had any trouble with his heart before. He took it very badly when our youngest child died. It is hard enough losing one son but to lose two in eight months was just too much for him to bear.

"This was the culmination of a hard three year fight with the army to get to the bottom of what happened. I was satisfied with the conclusions of the coroner and believe that Buchan meant his apology."