Police mentor shot dead by Afghan prisoner

Rodney Edwards • Published 12 Aug 2010 16:00 0 Comments

Share this

click to enlarge
Ken McGonigle, originally from Trillick.

TRIBUTES have been paid to the Northern Ireland policeman who was shot dead in Afghanistan on Saturday.

51-year-old Ken McGonigle, originally from Trillick in County Tyrone, was working as a police mentor for NATO when he was gunned down by an escaped insurgent prisoner.

The Muslim prisoner was on his way to morning prayers when he seized his captors’ weapons and shot Mr. McGonigle before killing two US marines as they followed him into nearby buildings.

The prisoner was eventually shot and killed in the incident in Musa Qala in northern Helmand province.

Mr. McGonigle was due to return to Northern Ireland at the start of next month, having served in Iraq also.

His wife Gail, and the couple’s children, Ruth, Dale, Alex and Jimmy, are said to be “completely devastated” by their loss.

Speaking this week, Mr. McGonigle’s father Joe, who lives in Trillick, said: “Kenneth was the first man he [the prisoner] saw - he opened up and Kenneth hit the ground.

“Our hearts are broken. It is an awful thing to happen, but there’s nothing we could do about it. He wanted to be out there, he loved it. He was very well-liked, he was a fella that if you met him once, you would want to meet him again, and everyone was treated the same. He was very popular here in the neighbourhood, at school and everywhere else,” he said. The family had spent some time living in the Enniskillen area.

Mr. McGonigle had been in Afghanistan for three months and spent a year and a half with the New Century security services company.

According to New Century’s website, the services offered by the firm are counter-insurgency intelligence, the “creation of a cohesive operational intelligence picture of local tribal, ethnic and social power”, and “pre-emptive policing” to reduce violence.

Paying tribute to the dead man, Michael Grunberg at New Century told The Impartial Reporter: “Ken was a highly professional, deeply competent, well-admired and thoroughly committed colleague who made a material difference through his work. His presence and contribution will be sorely missed by everyone in the company and at the NATO Training Mission. The incident is under investigation. Once this is completed additional details will be released.”

Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott sent his condolences to the family of Mr. McGonigle: “The death of this young man brings the horrors of war all too close to home, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as this devastating time.

It is clear that he was a highly respected member of the security personnel out in Afghanistan, and his loss will be sorely felt both there and at home. This most tragic loss reminds us that members of the Armed Forces are deserving of our absolute support and recognition. They, and their families, make personal sacrifices that many of us could scarcely comprehend to protect our interests,” he said.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 12 Aug 10

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.