The sister of an award-winning British film-maker shot dead in Gaza said today he was ‘most likely killed in cold blood’
Katie Barter, sister of the late James Miller, told an inquest into his death at St Pancras coroner's court in London that the Israeli authorities had ‘strongly suspected’ the commander of an armoured personnel carrier of lying.
They also recommended the harshest disciplinary measures be taken against him.
However, Miller's family were later informed that no action would be taken over his death in Gaza in May 2003.
‘I was obviously horrified,’ said Ms Barter.
‘I said how can they allow decent honest people to be represented by someone who had changed the barrel on his weapon and most likely killed in cold blood. There was no reply,’ she added.
Earlier, Mr Miller's other sister, Anne Waddington, had told the court her brother's fatal injury had been to the front right-hand side of the neck.
Ms Waddington, a barrister who had arranged a home office pathologist to examine Mr Miller's body, said it was a ‘classic sniper shot’.
She said British officials had warned her that the Israeli investigation would be a ‘sham inquiry’.
Ms Waddington added that records of radio communication between Israeli troops included an exchange that a cameraman had to be evacuated after he was wounded ‘probably from our own fire’.
But an Israeli army officer was cleared of a last remaining charge relating to Mr Miller's killing in April last year, despite a recommendation that he should be disciplined.
‘The [Israeli] military police investigation was prejudiced from the outset,’ said Ms Waddington.
‘The chances of uncovering the real truth were seriously prejudiced. We had to push for every single opportunity. It was an endless pursuit for a small amount of information.’
Asked if the Foreign Office had offered her sufficient support, she said: ‘I am afraid to say, no.’
The inquest was also shown dramatic footage of the final moments of the film-maker's life.
Miller, who was making a documentary about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for HBO, is seen leaving a home in Gaza with his producer, Saira Shah, and a third person, their fixer and translator.
Filmed by a cameraman for news agency APTN at around 10.30pm on May 2 2003, Miller is seen carrying a white flag while Ms Shah can be heard shouting ‘British journalist’.
A shot rings out - presumed at first to be a warning shot - before another is heard, the bullet which killed Mr Miller. The footage was shown in the Channel 4 documentary, Death in Gaza.
The inquest, which is being held in front of a jury, is expected to last up to five days.