Iraq colonel: New probe

May 23 2003

By Evening Gazette

An inquiry is to be launched into the running of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment while it was under the command of Colonel Tim Collins, the MoD confirmed today. The inquiry will examine the "military environment" of the unit as part of a continuing probe into the apparent suicide of a soldier aged 18 in 2001, it was reported. The news comes as a separate inquiry continues into the conduct of Col Collins, 43, during the war in Iraq. The Ministry of Defence stressed the two inquiries were unrelated. Yesterday the soldier said he was confident of being cleared by the war conduct investigation. An inquiry was first launched into 1 Royal Irish after the death of trooper Paul Cochrane at Drumaad barracks, Ulster, in 2001. Col Collins was commanding officer of the regiment at the time.