Security guard murdered by Muslim prisoner

A FORMER Northern Ireland policeman was shot dead in Afghanistan after a Muslim prisoner overpowered his guards, his father said yesterday.

Father of four Ken McGonigle, 51, from Co Londonderry, was working for a security services company when he was gunned down by the inmate after he seized his captors' weapons.

Mr McGonigle was his first target. Two US Marines were also killed in the incident in Musa Qala in northern Helmand province.

"Kenneth was the first man he saw - he opened up and Kenneth hit the ground," Joe McGonigle said.

The gunman ran into some buildings and two hand grenades were thrown after him. Then two US Marines entered as he was standing behind the door. "He blew them to smithereens," Mr McGonigle added.

Relatives and friends were comforting the dead man's wife, Gail, and the couple's children, Ruth, Dale, Alex and Jimmy, at their home in Magheramason yesterday.

The couple's minister, Rev David Hillen, said: "Everybody is devastated."