A WAR hero has spoken of his ‘frustration’ at a lack of support from the Army after being exonerated for the fourth time over the death of an Iraqi national 12 years ago.

Ex-sergeant Kevin Williams, 32, was cleared of blame following two military investigations, over the fatal shooting of Hassan Abbas Said, before he was formally acquitted of murder at the Old Bailey in April 2005.

MORE TOP STORIES:

He has now been exonerated for a fourth time with the publication of an inquiry report by Sir George Newman into the death of Mr Said and another Iraqi national, Naheem Abdullah.

Mr Williams, said at the time of the shooting he was acting on orders but had been left feeling that he was the one being punished.

He said the re-emergence of the allegations against him had already led to him losing two jobs, despite being cleared each time there was an inquiry.

But while the former member of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, from Nelson, who has waived his right to anonymity, is trying to forge a new future, in Burnley, Mr Said’s family could still be entitled to a compensation payout.

Mr Williams, who runs his fledgling office supplies company, Wil, with partner Karen Lord, 29, said: “You expect the Army and the MoD to support you.

“I was working for them, as a professional soldier, I was acting on orders, and I was told to go into that camp that day.”

Mr Williams, then 21, shot Mr Said when he went for the soldier’s rifle, while he was being detained following an incident in the Ad Dayr area of southern Iraq. His patrol had come across the man, and eight others, pushing a cart filled with ammunition.

Sir George said in his findings that a fellow soldier had been pushed to the ground and Mr Said had made an apparent attempt to lay his hands on that trooper’s pistol or holster.

Leaving the military in August 2013, Mr Williams attempted to secure employment as a private security contractor in the Middle East.

But the launch of Sir George’s inquiry, and an announcement last January that the International Criminal Court (ICC) was considering the case, led to his dismissal from two separate posts.

Mr Williams said: “I’ve been found innocent four times, because that is how many times they have investigated me. I’ve been found to have done nothing wrong.

“But it feels like I am the one who is being punished. I’ve lost two jobs already because of this.”

Mr Williams said he felt especially bitter towards public interest lawyer firms, representing Mr Said’s family, who he believes are driving the fresh investigations into the events of 2003, and seeking compensation over his death.

After his return to active service following the first investigations, he was hailed as a hero after he helped to save the lives of seven comrades under fire from the Taliban in Helmand Province, when their tank was ditched into a canal.

Since returning to East Lancashire he has been offered support by a number of military organisations, working closely with ex-servicemen’s charity Salute and Veterans Welfare UK, with the prospect of the ICC proceedings still hanging over him.

Sir George’s inquiry found that ‘excessive force’ was used leading to the death of Mr Abdullah but made no similar findings in relation to Mr Said. He did recommend that additional training is given in relation to soldiers’ participation in peacekeeping operations, to prevent similar incidents in future.

An MoD spokesman said: “The vast majority of UK service personnel deployed on military operations conduct themselves in accordance with training and policy which comply with the law.

“However, it is right that those against whom there is serious evidence of wrongdoing are prosecuted. The soldiers in both cases were prosecuted. In both cases the accused were acquitted.”

Further bids for compensation on behalf of Mr Said would be resisted, it is understood.