British man’s ‘gallantry’ during terror attack contributed to his death, coroner rules

A British man’s “gallantry” during an Isis-backed terror attack contributed to his death, a coroner has ruled.

Coroner Jason Pegg, sitting at Winchester Coroner’s Court in Hants, has praised “true leader” Philip Mawer for having the “character” to decline an evacuation so that women and children could go first.

Mr Mawer, originally from Somerset, was caught up in a siege carried out by the Isis-linked group Al-Shabaab while staying at the Amarula Hotel in Palma, Mozambique, in March 2021.

An inquest into his death, held this week, heard that he heroically turned down a spot on a rescue helicopter, insisting that women and children be evacuated first, and later declined a space on an armoured vehicle.

He was killed when a rocket propelled grenade struck his own vehicle, which he was driving as part of a convoy trying to escape the besieged hotel.

The assault on the hotel and the surrounding area was described at the inquest by a Metropolitan Police detective as “the biggest terrorist attack since 9/11”.

The inquest heard that Mr Mawer worked for RA International and had been contracted to oversee construction of accommodation for “Africa's largest oil field”, which was being spearheaded by French oil company TotalEnergies.

TotalEnergies is one of the world's seven supermajor oil companies, but its Mozambique subsidiary TEPMA1 came under fire during the inquest for refusing to give fuel to private military contractor Dyck Advisory Group, which staged rescue efforts during the March 2021 attack.

Barristers on behalf of Mr Mawer's family argued that TEPMA1 had “assumed responsibility” for his safety by implying that the area was safe, and they failed that responsibility by refusing to provide fuel for rescue attempts “which would have saved his life”. TEPMA1 denied any such responsibility.

On Thursday, Mr Pegg, the area coroner for Hampshire, ruled that he did not have the evidence to find that corporations had any responsibility to evacuate Mr Mawer.

Addressing Bill and Mark Mawer, Mr Mawer's elder brothers, the coroner said that the 58-year-old was known for his generosity and lust for life, and had a proven record in his role.

“He was someone who made the impossible possible. He was not only well-respected but respected others,” Mr Pegg told the brothers.

“Your brother was a true leader. He put his team and others first before himself and he did so at a time when it was very likely he was in fear, stressed and scared.”

Mr Pegg said that while holed up in the hotel, Mr Mawer would have known of the atrocities – including beheadings – being committed just beyond the compound wall.

He also would have known that everyone inside the hotel would have been killed if the insurgents had breached the facility.

“But despite those circumstances he expressed his relief when he heard his colleagues had been evacuated from the offices to the more secure Afungi site.

“Despite where he found himself, Philip had the character and gallantry to put women and children first.”

Mr Pegg said that the speed of the attack was “simply not anticipated”, and it “overwhelmed everyone”, including Mr Mawer.

He ruled that Mr Mawer’s “gallant” decision to turn down a helicopter evacuation, and to decline a seat in the armoured vehicle, contributed to his death.”

He concluded: “I find he died after being struck by an RPG discharged by a person unknown but more likely than not party of Al-Shabaab.

“As a part of those findings I will give a short-form conclusion of being unlawfully killed.”