A decorated soldier has been left penniless and jobless after being repeatedly hounded by 'ambulance-chasing' lawyers over the death of an Iraqi man 12 years ago. Sergeant Kevin Williams shot Hassan Abbas Said because he believed he was going to shoot him after he grabbed his rifle during a violent struggle in Iraq in 2003. The soldier, then 21, was cleared by two military investigations only to then face a murder charge in a civilian court, where he was once again cleared. Sergeant Kevin Williams has been left penniless and jobless after being repeatedly hounded by 'ambulance-chasing' lawyers over the death of an Iraqi man 12 years ago . He went on to be praised for his heroism after saving seven lives in Afghanistan – but in a worrying display of how lawyers are profiting under the Human Rights Act, Mr Said's family could now be awarded compensation. In a blistering attack on the system which has forced the Ministry of Defence to spend millions in British courts defending actions of soldiers on the battlefield, Mr Williams said: 'I feel like I've been on trial for 12 years. 'It is a disgrace that soldiers are having to explain their actions so ambulance-chasing lawyers can abuse farcical rulings and line their pockets on the death of Iraqi civilians.' Mr Williams, who joined the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment in 1999 aged 16, said he was angry that Mr Said's family could receive compensation after pursuing their case with controversial lawyers Leigh Day & Co. It is understood they could receive thousands of pounds. The soldier, then 21, was cleared by two military investigations only to then face a murder charge in a civilian court, where he was once again cleared, pictured with his partner Rachel Lord . He went on to be praised for his heroism after saving seven lives in Afghanistan, but said it feels as though he has been on trial for 12 years . Waiving his right to anonymity, Mr Williams said: 'I was just doing my job as a soldier fighting for my country and defending a comrade. It is disgusting and completely unfair that [Mr Said's] family could now receive compensation and I've lost two jobs and am struggling to support my family.' Mr Williams, now 32, was on a random patrol during his second tour of Iraq in 2003 when he came across up to nine men pushing a cart filled with ammunition. When the soldiers moved to arrest them, Mr Williams chased one to a nearby village and into his home. August 2003: Sergeant Kevin Williams kills Hassan Abbas Said in Iraq after he attempts to grab his rifle and resists arrest . Sept 2004: Mr Williams told military investigations have finished and he had been cleared of wrongdoing . Sept 2004: Charged with the murder of Said and case put before civilian court . April 2005: Murder charge dropped weeks before trial as there is no prospect of conviction . Aug 2013: Mr Williams decides to leave the military and in January 2014 gets a private security job in Iraq . July 2014: Sacked after Sir George Newman begins fresh inquiry into the death of Said . October 2014: Mr Williams manages to get a second private security job in Iraq . Jan 2015: Mr Williams told he could face war crime charges in The Hague . Feb 2015: As a result, he loses his second job and flies back to the UK . March 2015: Sir George Newman attributes no wrongdoing to Mr Williams for the death of Said. But MoD says Said family could still get compensation . Mr Said refused to leave peacefully and after trying to grab Mr Williams's gun, he was shot dead by the young soldier as the Iraqi was said to have reached for his colleague's pistol. Mr Williams said: 'I was only a young boy and I was very scared. I felt both mine and my colleague's life were in danger. I didn't think, 'I'm going to shoot to kill him', but I wanted to shoot to stop him.' He was initially subjected to two internal military investigations in 2003 and 2004, which cleared him of any wrongdoing. But with the civilian police unhappy with the decision, he was arrested on suspicion of murder by officers from the Metropolitan Police while on leave in Burnley where he lives with his partner Rachel Lord, 29, and his daughter. After a two-year investigation in which he suffered from depression, his trial collapsed in 2005 when the Crown Prosecution Service eventually accepted there was no realistic prospect of a conviction. The judge said that many people felt Mr Williams had been 'betrayed'. In 2009 he deployed to Afghanistan, saving the lives of seven comrades by pulling them from an armoured vehicle submerged in a river. He was later awarded a Joint Chief's Commendation after trying to save the life of a colleague when their vehicle was hit by an IED. He left as a teaching sergeant in 2013 and moved back to Iraq to work in private security last year. But then he was told about an official inquiry by ex-High Court judge Sir George Newman who was investigating the deaths of Mr Said and another Iraqi, Naheem Abdullah, who died as a result of injuries sustained at a road block in May 2003. Seven paratroopers were cleared of murdering Mr Abdullah in 2005. Mr Williams lost his security job after the inquiry was announced. But on Friday a report by Sir George again attributed no blame to Mr Williams for Mr Said's death. However, the MoD said it could still be forced to pay compensation to Mr Said's family. After a two-year investigation in which he suffered from depression, his trial collapsed in 2005 . Mr Williams, who joined the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment in 1999 aged 16, said he was angry that Mr Said's family could receive compensation . They are represented by law firm Leigh Day & Co, who were criticised last year along with Phil Shiner's Public Interest Lawyers firm after another inquiry demolished their claims that UK soldiers tortured Iraqi detainees in May 2004. The International Criminal Court then announced it examining claims of mistreatment by British troops after being handed a dossier by Public Interest Lawyers. Mr Williams was told that he could face a war crimes trial in The Hague – which usually tries dictators who carry out genocide – over the death of Mr Abdullah. By this time he had found another security job in Iraq but he lost the post within hours of the ICC investigation being announced. He said: 'To possibly be investigated again by the ICC, it makes me feel sick.' Mr Williams said he felt 'abandoned' by the Army, adding: 'I went to war wanting to protect everyone I work with and you expect the Army to support you. They haven't. Nobody has.' An MoD spokesman said: 'The Government wishes to express its regret at the death of Mr Abdullah and is prepared to pay appropriate compensation to his family.' You can donate to Kevin Williams HERE .
Sgt Kevin Williams shot Hassan Abbas Said during violent struggle in 2003 . Soldier believed Mr Said was going to shot him when Iraqi grabbed his gun . Sgt Williams was cleared by military investigations and cleared of murder . But he was repeatedly hounded by 'ambulance-chasing' lawyers over death . He is jobless, broke and feels as though he has been on trial for 12 years .