Net closing on Shropshire airman Brent McCarthy's murderer

Corporal McCarthy's parents say they have received fresh information about a breakthrough in the murder inquiry.

The 25-year-old, who was attached to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was killed while guarding a base in Lashkar Gar in Helmand Province.

The RAF policeman, of Priorslee, Telford, died of "unsurvivable injuries" alongside 27-year-old Lance Corporal Lee Davies, after they were shot by two men in Afghan police uniform in May 2012.

Chilling photographs emerged of the British comrades smiling and posing with their killers just moments before they opened fire.

The man thought to have murdered Lance Corporal Davies was shot by a British soldier as he fled the compound and was later executed by Afghan police.

But the second man is still at large and Corporal McCarthy's parents, John and Sarah, say they hope an arrest of another Afghan will lead to his capture.

The wanted man's sponsor, who acted as his mentor in the Afghan police, is being held and questioned. It is hoped he knows where Corporal McCarthy's killer is hiding.

The information has come in a letter sent by the Royal British Legion, which is acting as a link between the family and the Ministry of Defence's Defence Inquest Unit.

Mrs McCarthy, of Calluna Drive, said: "We have had a letter to say the sponsor of the man that killed Brent had been arrested, but we haven't heard anything since. It would mean everything to us if his killer was caught. It would be such a relief. Justice will have been done. He will have been caught so he can't go on to kill others. It's that one aspect that has never been resolved and it's hard for us to think that he's still out there."

She added: "We've got over all the milestones of the inquest and Remembrance Day and there's not much more that can bring us any further down I don't think.

"The Afghan authorities have got the wanted man's photograph so I hope it won't be too long until they track him down. The sponsor is their mentor or guardian in the Afghan Police force so they must know where he is.

Understand

"We just don't understand why it's taking so long when they've got a clear photo."

Corporal McCarthy's parents today released new photographs of their son celebrating his last Christmas with family, including his new-born nephew Kyron. The airman, who also leaves behind his pregnant sister Jodie, 31, and her children Mia Jay, eight, and Kyron, two, was born into a military family in Germany but lived in Priorslee most of his life.

The former Lilleshall Primary and Orleton Park pupil joined the RAF police in 2008.

He was assigned to the base in 2009 where he volunteered to deploy with 174 Provost Company, 3rd Regiment Royal Military Police, where he helped train and mentor Afghan police.

By Jennifer Meierhans

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