Coroner praises 'gallant' hero Brit killed by terrorists in Africa hotel siege but refuses to condemn companies accused of hindering rescue

A BRITISH contractor killed by ISIS backed terrorists in Africa was a 'true leader' who put himself before others, a coroner has said. Philip Mawer, 58, had 'gallantly' given up his space on a rescue helicopter after the coastal town of Palma in Mozambique was ambushed by militants from Al-Shabaab in March 2021 – leaving as many as 1,400 dead. But his decision to allow women, children and the sick to go first contributed to his death, the coroner ruled on Thursday. He had also refused a seat in an armoured vehicle to escape the Amarula Hotel, instead choosing to take his own 'soft-skin' vehicle with two passengers in a convoy with others. He died when the vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. The inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court heard Mr Mawer, originally from Somerset, was working as a project manager for RA International, which was contracted to build workers' accommodation for 'the largest gas operation in Africa', run by French multinational firm TotalEnergies. Philip Mawer, 58, had been working on a project to construct a new gas field in Mozambique when Isis-linked terrorists attacked his hotel on March 24, 2021 Mr Mawer, a contractor from Somerset, was offered a helicopter evacuation the day after the siege had started, but turned it down, 'insisting women and children went first'TotalEnergies had been accused of hampering rescue efforts and refusing to provide fuel to a private firm contracted by the Mozambique government to fight the rebels and rescue survivors. But Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg ruled he did not have the evidence to find that corporations had any responsibility for evacuation.'There's not evidence before me that any corporation had or should have assumed responsibility to formulate an evacuation plan for Philip or affect a rescue for Philip,' he said. 'It might be that some within the hotel, perhaps Philip himself, hoped that in their time of crisis a corporation would come to their rescue.'But because that's what they thought doesn't mean there was any responsibility to do so.'The speed of the attack was simply not anticipated.'It overwhelmed everyone it seems to me including Philip with his experience of operating in Mozambique.'Addressing Mr Mawer's two brothers directly Mr Pegg said he was a 'true leader, he put his team and others first before himself and he did so at a time when it's quite likely, very likely, he would have been in fear.'He told them: 'To have been in the Amarula Hotel between March 24 and 26 would have been a highly stressful experience.'Philip would have known the atrocities being committed just beyond that compound wall, the killings, the amputations, the beheadings and Philip knew, because he knew well and had experience in that type of environment, if the insurgents breached the compound security he would have been captured and killed.'Despite that hostile environment, Philip had the character where he expressed a sense of relief when he knew his team had been safely evacuated to a more secure site.'Despite the threat to Philip personally, despite the hostile environment in which he found himself, Philip had the character, the gallantry, to put women and children first and I am sure you two brothers and the wider family are proud of Philip and rightly so.'It's also clear to me you miss your brother greatly.'TotalEnergies is one of the world's seven supermajor oil companies. Its Mozambican subsidiary TEPMA1 came under fire during the inquest for refusing to give fuel to a private military contractor Dyck Advisory Group (DAG) who were staging rescue efforts during the March 2021 attack.Barristers on behalf of Mr Mawer's family argued that TEPMA1 had 'assumed responsibility' for the contractors' safety by implying the area was safe, and they failed that responsibility by refusing to provide fuel for rescue attempts 'which would have saved his life'.TEPMA1 have denied any such responsibility and that they could have saved Mr Mawer's life.The coroner said: 'In regard to that evidence I'm not satisfied that the absence of provision of fuel by any companies to DAG contributed to Philip's death.'There was a rescue flight on March 25. The evidence I have is that it was a security coordinator that urged Philip to get on a helicopter on that flight.'It appears he declined albeit for a very gallant reason.'He was one of those who decided that women children and the sick should be evacuated first.'He said Mr Mawer took the decision at around 3pm on March 26 to evacuate by convoy as he knew it would soon be dark and the helicopters would not be able to fly until the morning.He said there were also insurgents to the south of their compound. 'Those inside felt exposed to the ongoing and it seems to be increasing activity,' he said. 'Those inside the compound felt they had to go that night.'They had located a B6 vehicle at the hotel. It would have provided not much more protection than a soft skin vehicle like the one used by Philip.'The security advisor asked Philip to go in the B6 but he declined the offer, choosing instead to travel in his own vehicle.'This was a dynamic and extremely hostile environment.'Approaching hostiles was one of the key reasons for the vehicles convoy heading north. The decision had been made to leave with a convoy.'Philip having declined a seat went on his soft skin vehicle with two passengers.'Soon after having left the hotel they were engaged by terrorists. A number of vehicles sustained small arms fire and Philip's vehicle itself was engaged by the terrorist and during that engagement Philip suffered his multiple and fatal injuries.'Mr Pegg concluded he was unlawfully killed: 'I find he died after being struck by an RPG discharged by a person unknown but more likely than not part of Al Shabaab.'