A former British paratrooper who served on the fronts in Ukraine was fatally shot by a ‘comrade known as Jihadi Adam,’ as revealed by an inquest.
Daniel Burke, hailing from Manchester, journeyed to the conflict-riddled country to provide medical aid to troops battling against Vladimir Putin‘s forces.
The 36-year-old went missing on August 11, with his remains found in a drain a month later, showing multiple gunshot wounds to his head, neck, and chest.
During a session at Manchester Coroner’s Court on Friday, it was disclosed that a ‘suspect’ had directed Ukrainian officials to his body, claiming he had shot Burke accidentally.
The individual was not identified during the proceedings, but he is known to Greater Manchester Police as Abdelfetah Nourine, alias Jihadi Adam.
Coroner Zak Golombek remarked: ‘Daniel was unlawfully killed by someone who claimed to be his friend. He perished with courage and valor, yet was slain by treachery and dishonor.’
He further stated: ‘Daniel was defenseless and unable to protect himself, suffering fatal injuries from multiple gunshots.’
Ukrainian authorities assessing the former soldier’s death in the Parachute Regiment discovered that he had been participating in target practice away from the combat frontlines with Mr. Nourine, a dual national of Australia and Algeria.
Detective Sergeant Danielle Bullivant informed the inquest that Mr. Burke had founded the organization Dark Angels, composed of military personnel dedicated to evacuating the wounded from the front.
Mr. Nourine had collaborated with the British volunteer in Ukraine, and they were reported as ‘comrades,’ according to the hearing.
The day he went missing, CCTV footage captured him spending time with the suspect, and later traveling to a deserted training facility in the late afternoon.
As part of the investigation into Mr. Burke’s disappearance, the suspect was interrogated and provided conflicting accounts of what transpired, the inquest revealed.
Initially, he asserted that he had left the location with the deceased, claiming he could not be seen on CCTV inside the vehicle as he was lying down due to food poisoning.
However, he later directed authorities to the remains and stated he had inadvertently taken his comrade’s life during a training drill.
He claimed that he discharged at least two rounds – one shot mistakenly while he was carrying Mr. Burke during an exercise and another for unspecified reasons.
The court noted a forensic autopsy indicating that Mr. Burke had sustained at least three gunshot wounds.
Ms. Bullivant indicated that ballistic tests conducted in Ukraine suggested it was not feasible to accidentally discharge the firearm, specifically an AKS74U.
It has been reported that Mr. Nourine was briefly detained but has since fled Ukraine, and his current location remains unknown.
The inquest revealed that he had previously traveled to Syria to combat the so-called Islamic State, having been ‘substantially impacted’ by the tragic events in Manchester in May 2017, when 22 individuals lost their lives in the Manchester Arena bombing.
Moreover, he had been ‘frequently traveling’ in and out of Ukraine, with his last visit occurring in May 2023.
Ms. Bullivant shared with the court: ‘I believe this was a venture that deeply appealed to Daniel.’
In 2019, he faced accusations of terrorism-related offenses from his travels to Syria, but those charges were dismissed the following year.
During the inquest, Mr. Burke’s brother Kevin inquired whether Mr. Nourine might have engaged in combat on the opposite side during his time in Syria.
He stated: ‘There are numerous narratives, but this is certainly one of them.’
Ms. Bullivant responded that law enforcement had no intelligence to indicate prior interactions between the two before their collaboration in Ukraine.
Contact our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For additional stories of this nature, visit our news page.
