28 April 2023 , 13:58
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The wife of a soldier tragically killed in a crash in Cyprus is in a race against time to finally get answers as to how he died.
Colour Sgt Anthony Oxley died in a crash at RAF Akrotiri in June 2016, with the driver of the other car a US serviceman.
Seven years on from his death, Sally Oxley is still searching for the truth of what happened to her beloved husband, who had served with the Yorkshire Regiment.
40-year-old Colour Sgt Oxley, known as Big Ox by loved ones, from Ryhill, near Wakefield, had been riding a motorbike while on deployment when he was hit by a car driven by a US serviceman on British territory.
He collected an array of medals from tours with Army in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan and has been described as a ‘hero’ to his country and family, including nine-year-old daughter Honiiee Mai and Sally's three other children.
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The original inquest in Wakefield in February 2018 recorded a narrative verdict and found the cause of death were head injuries as a result of a road traffic collision.
However, the US Air Force took charge of the crash investigation and few details were made public.
40-year-old Colour Sgt Oxley had been riding a motorbike while on deployment when he was hit by a car driven by a US serviceman on British territory (Sally Oxley)Sally and family flew to Cyprus last week for a hearing to launch a new inquest - but this was immediately adjourned by a judge on Tuesday because there was documentation missing.
Now, she has just six weeks to fund lawyers in Cyprus, put the case together and documentation in Greek to the judge.
Heartbroken Sally, 45, said: “The last seven years have been absolute hell.
"The MOD have been so unsupportive. I have two legal teams in place and I've no way of sustaining it any longer.
"It's like going up against a brick wall."
Without answers, Sally is struggling to grieve properly and just wants closure.
"It's a nightmare mentally," she told the Mirror. "I can't go to his grave and can't rest without answers. My little girl is nine in June, a day before the next hearing.
"All we want is some closure."
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Sally’s cousin Michelle Peele says that every closed door is a fresh blow for the widow.
“She’s been single handedly been trying to get answers for seven years,” she said. “It’s been pro bono up until now, but the legal team just can’t sustain it.
“Since Tuesday, Sally has been absolutely devastated and it’s taken days to pick her back up.
“It makes it all fresh for her and for her daughter. She [Honiiee Mae] cries, ‘why can’t I have a daddy’.”
Michelle and Sally believe there are conflicting information in the driver’s witness statement to police compared to the witnesses.
“The driver said after the collision he moved the car to the side of the road, but police statements say the car was at the junction where the crash happened,” she said.
“We aren’t lawyers, we’re just normal people and we can see it doesn’t add up.”
Sally has been fighting for answers for seven years (Sally Oxley)Michelle has launched a GoFundMe page on Sally’s behalf to raise the funds they so desperately need to hire a legal team in Cyprus as well as expenses while they are out there.
“We’re having to fly back and forth, arrange childcare, hotels, flights,” she said. “We’ve been told £100,000 could cover it, so that’s what we’re trying to raise.
“But we only have six weeks until the next hearing - it’s a race against time.”
Michelle, who is close with Sally and knew Anthony very well, describes him as the “life and soul”.
She said: “As much as the hero he was for his country he was the biggest hero to his family.
“Always putting them first, a perfect father to Honiiee Mai and Sally's three other children.
“Ox who never saw Honiiee Mai's first day at school or will never see her last day at school and will never be able to walk her down the bridal aisle in her wedding dress.
“That has now been taken away from them both as Ox always talked about the boys that will never be good enough for his little girl.”
The family’s fundraiser can be found here.
A spokesperson for the MOD said: “Our thoughts remain with Sergeant Oxley’s family and we continue to offer support to them during this difficult time. It would be inappropriate to comment while the inquest is ongoing.”
The MoD said the Service Base Area Police, under the Visiting Forces Act 1952, were not able to bring a prosecution "where jurisdiction has been exercised by the visiting force".
Sgt Oxley was known as the Big Ox by his loved ones, who said he was the 'life and soul' (Sally Oxley)It confirmed the US Air Force Special Investigations team had decided the serviceman involved in the accident would face no charges and "this decision was reviewed three times".
This latest inquest in Cyprus is the second in under two years, both conducted by the Cypriot government.
The first was adjourned last year after Mrs Oxley was given a file containing witness statements - which she said included evidence contradicting the US account - an hour before the hearing was due to start.
For Sally, this next stage is crucial in being able to live her life again.
"I can move on with my life and grieve," she said. "I can't grieve, and neither can my daughter."
USAF declined to comment.