Soldier Corporal Mark Palin died after volunteering to lead a team of bomb disposal experts to a major haul of improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan, an inquest heard today.

The 32-year-old was acting as point man for the group as they made their way to a cache of bomb parts hidden in a hay stack near a village in Helmand Province last July.

As they lay prone after another squad from his unit,county-based B Company 1 Rifles – which came under fire a short distance away, he triggered the pressure plate of an IED hidden in the bank of the ditch they were using as cover.

The father of two, whose wife Carla was pregnant with their second child at the time, was killed instantly.

There were emotional scenes at the end of the hearing, as Cpl Palin's father Paul walked over to one of his comrades, Rifleman Justin Maker, and embraced the young soldier – who seemed on the edge of tears.

He had been one of several of Cpl Palin's comrades who gave emotional evidence to the inquest at Plymouth's Civic Centre.

Plymouth Coroner Ian Arrow, recording a verdict of unlawful killing while on active service, told them: "I'm satisfied that Mark knew nothing of this from the time of the explosion. I hope this is some comfort to you.

"It is quite clear that he was a very experienced and well liked infantryman and I am sure his loss is being felt by you all."

The inquest had heard that on July 17 last year 1 Rifles was given intelligence that a stash of bomb parts, including pressure plates, was being hidden near the village of Kokaran.

Troops were sent to guard the area and the next morning, July 18, the team of sappers and bomb disposal experts arrived to be taken to remove them. Cpl Palin's unit was assigned to bring them up to the cache.

In a statement read to the inquest, Sapper Stephen Burletson, who was following Cpl Palin, told how they were laying on the side of a bank running along the ditch when the lead man decided to check their position on a map, kept in a pocket on his armour.

"I recall seeing Cpl Palin rocking back and forth as he was trying to get the map back in his pocket and he was fiddling with his rucksack," he wrote.

"Then I heard a loud explosion. It took a few seconds to work out what was happening.

"I noticed everyone was looking at me, when I turned around to the direction where Cpl Palin lay there was a large crater."

The inquest heard that it was possible that the bomb had been planted by a group of insurgents who had clashed with British troops in the area several weeks previously.

Major Michael Turnull, commanding officer of B Company 1 Rifles, told the inquest that while the unit was aware of the constant threat from IEDs they were more focussed on the threat from small arms fire at the time, having had several recent gun battles.

Asked whether in hindsight they might have acted differently, he said no, adding: "The importance of exploiting that cache and the importance of it to the battle we were fighting in Afghanistan is probably easiest explained by the fact that even after his evacuation (by helicopter to Camp Bastion) I ordered them to push on and deliver the IED team to the cache.

"And we got a lot of useful stuff away from it."

Cpl Palin, who lived near 1 Rifles' base in Chepstow, Glos, was originally from Plymouth, Devon, and was buried in the city after a funeral last August.

Around 1,000 people crammed into the Minster Church of St Andrew for the service for Cpl Palin, nicknamed "Muldoon", including his wife Carla, father Paul, brother Matthew and sister Louise Laird. Members of the public gathered around the church to pay their respects.

Comrades of the popular 32-year-old soldier, described as "a battalion character through and through" wept as they acted as pallbearers to carry his body into the service.

Mrs Palin did not attend the inquest today.