The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Scots soldier arrested over comrade’s ‘bar brawl’ death
Grieving mother to take legal action against son’s wife over burial
A Scots soldier has been arrested in connection with the death of a Blackwatch comrade in Germany almost a year ago.
The soldier, also a member of 3 Scots, the Black Watch, wasarrestedonsuspicion of the manslaughter of Private Mark Connolly.
The 24- year- old from Fife died after an alleged bar brawl over a mobile phone in Paderborn on May 14 last year.
Pte Connolly's body remains in a London mortuary almost a year after his death as his widow is locked in a dispute with his mother over where to bury his body.
P t e C o n n o l l y 's mother, Linda McComiskie, 48, revealed yesterday she is planning legal action against 26year-old Stacy Connolly as a result of the dispute.
It is unders t o o d that the arrest w a s made at the end of April, just two weeks after the Black Watch returned from Afghanistan.
The soldier, who has not been named, is thought to have been arrested by the Royalmilitary Police at the unit's base at Fort George, near Inverness.
A preliminary hearing was held at the Army's Catterick garrison in north Yorkshire.
The soldier could face a court martial at the base.
Pte Connolly had survived a bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2009 which killed one of his close friendsandwrecked the vehicle in which he was travelling. Mrs Mccomiskie wants her son laid to rest in the family lair near hishometownof Methil in Fife, but his wife wants to bury him near their home at Forfar, Angus. M r s M cComiskie said yesterday: “It's nearly a year, and for my son having to wait all this t ime is ridiculous. Mark would have been buried last June. It hurts me that his widow has allowed this to happen.
“I intend to take her to court once I getmy boy laid to rest.”
Mrs Connolly previously said she was the victim of an internet hate campaign orchestrated by Mrs McComiskie.
Mrs Connolly said last year: “Hismumdoesn't understand how much we loved each other. He wanted to be buried in Forfar so we could be together. Now I don't even have my husband's body to bury with dignity.
“As his wife and next of kin, surely I have the right to have my husband buried?”
An Army spokeswoman confirmed Pte Connolly's body was in London due to the dispute.
The spokeswoman added: “A serving soldier was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.”
Mrs Connolly could not be contacted for comment yesterday.