Relatives Of Birmingham Guardsman Mathew Talbot Ask Military Lawyers To Help Secure Answers And Support Them Through Inquest Process

The family of a British soldier killed during an anti-poaching exercise in Africa have called for lessons to be learned after an inquest into his death concluded.

Mathew Talbot, 22, was on his first deployment as a Guardsman with the 1^st Battalion Coldstream Guards when his group were attacked by elephants while on an anti-poaching patrol in Liwonde National Park, Malawi, in May 2019. He died of his injuries.

Following Mathew’s death, his family, of Great Barr, Birmingham, instructed specialist military accident lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate his death and support them through the inquest process as they seek answers regarding the incident that claimed his life.

The inquest concluded today, with the Oxford Coroner - Mr Darren Salter - highlighting the Ministry of Defence’s failings that were set out in the Service Inquiry. Mr Salter concluded that if a qualified doctor had been deployed on the operation, and/or there had been the availability of a helicopter for medical evacuation to a local hospital, then it is likely that Mathew would have survived.

The Coroner also commented on the fact that Mathew and his colleagues were denied the opportunity to fire warning shots under the Rules of Engagement (ROE) that were in place at the time, and there was confusion and ambiguity in relation to the training dealing with wild animal encounters. These were contributory factors to the incident.

In a statement following the inquest, Mathew’s parents, Steve and Michelle Talbot, said: “Losing Matt in this way and having to face the inquest has been a life changing experience for the whole family.

“Matt loved the Army, and we take comfort from the fact he died doing the job he adored. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those lads involved in trying to save our son and we will be forever grateful for their efforts.

“After being so severely injured and placed in the back of a Land Rover to evacuate him, we feel that Matt’s final hours must have been a painful and harrowing experience. We believe that he was badly let down by poor planning and the lack of availability of a medical helicopter. Had the right things been put in place, he would have had every chance to get to hospital in time and survive his injuries.”

Matt was so proud of his younger sisters Aimee and Isabel, who have said: “Our wonderful big brother was a kind-hearted and caring soul, who would do absolutely anything for his family. Matt was and always will be our guardian angel and we will carry him in our hearts wherever we go.”

Olivia, Mathew’s girlfriend, was busy making plans for their future together.  She said: “I fell in love with Matt the first moment I set eyes on him. I was so proud of Matt and everything he achieved and there are no words to express how much I miss him.”

Expert Opinion

“All soldiers and their families know the dangers of the profession, but the family feel that Mathew was badly let down by poor risk assessments and a medical evacuation plan that was not fit for purpose, given the circumstances.

A brave man has lost his life doing the job he loved in tragic circumstances. The family hope that the inquest galvanizes the Army to learn lessons from Mathew’s death to prevent further incidents of this nature happening again and act as a catalyst to deliver a higher duty of care to those on active deployment.”
Andrew Buckham - Partner

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