A PROMISING young soldier from Tavistock died just days after being posted to Iraq when he shot himself in the groin while cleaning his rifle, a coroner heard last Wednesday. Andrew Kelly had always wanted to join the Parachute Regiment and had spent seven weeks in Kuwait preparing to go into the war zone. But just 72 hours after arriving in Basra in Southern Iraq, he lost his life in a baffling accident. Tragically, the 18-year-old had told his mother not to worry about him as he left for the Gulf, saying: ?Paras always go to Heaven.? Private Kelly died of a brain haemorrhage, but Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardiner said it was unclear whether this was a cause or effect of the shooting accident. He said Private Kelly may have suffered a sudden blinding headache which caused him to lose control and pull the trigger. However, the coroner heard how the ?exemplary soldier? had ignored basic army training and cleaned his SA80 with the magazine still attached. The safety catch had not been applied and the rifle had a round in the breach. The inquest heard that A Company of 3 Parachute Regiment had been watching a film in their base - a derelict airfield in Basra - when the shot rang out on May 6 last year. Private Alexander Phillips had been sitting chatting to a friend just a few feet away from Private Kelly and had noticed him cleaning his rifle. Private Phillips described how he tried to warn the soldier that the magazine of the rifle was attached, but it was too late. Private Kelly was driven to a field hospital, but was certified dead shortly after arrival. The sergeant in charge of Private Kelly?s training said he had undergone a ten-week basic training course split over a year from September 2001 to July 2002. The course included drill, map reading, field craft and a weapons handling test. ?He was very keen and full of life. He was well liked in the platoon and he would have done well in the Parachute Regiment,? said Sergeant Brian Bibby. ?As far as I could tell, he had no problems with weapons training.? Pathologist Doctor Nicholas Hunt said Private Kelly, of Vale Down, Lydford, died from a brain haemorrhage. Recording a verdict of misadventure, Mr Gardiner said: ?I?m sure he really knew far better than to attempt to clean his gun with a magazine on it. ?We are all careless from time to time. It?s part of the human condition.? The coroner added that neither Dr Hunt, nor a consultant neurologist had been able to discover whether the haemorrhage had preceded or followed the gunshot. ?The two pathologists simply haven?t been able to come up with an answer. I have to record a verdict that he died as a result of misadventure.? Private Kelly?s mother, Helen Yallop, said her son had been in high spirits in the days leading up to his death and he ?loved his job?. Speaking after the inquest, she said: ?Andrew?s long-held ambition was to be a paratrooper. ?He turned 18 on March 9 this year and within days was in his way to the Gulf. ?In his last call to me just days before he died, he said, ?Don?t worry about me mum, paras always go to Heaven?. ?He wanted so much to join 3 Para in The Gulf and he died having achieved his dream.?