“Joe was a much-loved son, brother and partner, his unnecessary death has left an immeasurable chasm in our lives.”
The family of a soldier who died of a gunshot to the head while waiting to go on a firing range have paid tribute to a “much-loved son, brother and partner”.
Lance Corporal Joe Spencer, 24, from Hampshire, was killed on November 1 2016 when an L115A3 sniper rifle fired a round while he was sheltering from the rain in an Iso shipping container at the Tain Air Weapons Range in the Scottish Highlands. At the end of a seven-day inquest in Winchester, the jury of five women and six men returned a narrative conclusion which said the exact circumstances of how the gun went off remained a mystery.
The jury concluded on Wednesday that “inconsistent range management and adherence to safety procedures” led up to the incident. Speaking on behalf of the family, L/Cpl Spencer’s father, Graham Spencer, said the inquest was “incredibly difficult” but was “something we needed to do to honour Joe’s memory”.
He added that the family “remain disappointed that not all of those tasked with the safe delivery of the course gave full evidence in court”. Mr Spencer said: “Joe was a much-loved son, brother and partner, his unnecessary death has left an immeasurable chasm in our lives.
“He was our youngest son and we miss him more each day. Joe was kind and compassionate, always smiling, with a quick wit and dry sense of humour.
“Despite being badly injured while serving in Afghanistan, he fought back with incredible determination to continue the career he loved. That was the measure of Joe.
“It’s more than nine years since Joe was taken from us, however the passage of time has done nothing to ease the grief and sense of loss we feel. It has been hard to focus on remembering our Joe and the wonderful memories we have of him, because so much of our energy has gone into trying to establish the events that contributed to his death.
“The length of time this has taken has been incredibly difficult for the whole family. We’re grateful to Joe’s colleagues who attended the inquest and gave evidence in person. It was clear from their accounts that Joe was a highly capable and well‑respected soldier.”
The youngest of three brothers, L/Cpl Spencer joined the British Army in 2011, and became a member of 3rd Battalion The Rifles. He was deployed abroad on a number of occasions, including operations in Afghanistan, where he was seriously wounded in a grenade attack.
After 18 months of care following the Afghanistan incident, L/Cpl Spencer returned to operational duties and was promoted to the rank of lance corporal in May 2015. The following month he bought a home with his partner.
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