Private Robert Poate's family welcomes capture of suspect The parents and sister of killed soldier Private Robert Poate, Hugh, Janny and their daughter Nicola (centre) in there Garran home. Photo: Jay Cronan The Canberra family of one of the three soldiers killed in a "green on blue attack" in Afghanistan last year has welcomed the capture of the Afghan sergeant suspected of the crime. Chief of the Defence Force David Hurley told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday that Sergeant Hekmatullah has been captured in Pakistan and is now in custody in Afghanistan. Private Robert Poate. General Hurley said the man may face the death penalty under Afghan law, if found guilty at an expected trial for murder. Hugh Poate said the capture of Hekmatullah would help him move forward after the death of his son, Private Robert Poate, 23, in the attack on August 29. "It's very good news, the other offenders of earlier insider attacks had all been dealt with," Mr Poate said. We knew that they were looking for him, and that he was given very high priority through Australian ... forces and ISAF agencies - we hoped that they would eventually get him, and I quietly had confidence that they would. It's a step forward in the recovery process from having lost Robbie, and I'm pretty sure the other two families would feel the same way. Mr Poate was informed of the capture by a Defence liaison officer at 10.30am on Wednesday, and said he had no criticism of the timing of the notice, after General Hurley said Pakistani authorities had informed Australia as far back as February of Sergeant Hekmatullah's capture. "I fully applaud the efforts made by the Defence Force to get him out [of Pakistan], and to hand him over to Afghanistan authorities," Mr Poate said. I think it would be unreasonable to expect to be informed back in February when he was only in Pakistan ... the main thing is that they've got him. The Garran resident said Sergeant Hekmatullah - who had family links to the Taliban - would now be able to be dealt with for the "heinous" and "cowardly crime" he had allegedly committed. "My views are that - I feel that he should be shown the same mercy as was shown to our three boys," Mr Poate said. Private Poate, Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic, 40, and Sapper James Martin, 21, were fatally wounded in the attack while Australian forces were relaxing at a patrol base 20 kilometres north of the main Australian base at Tarin Kowt. Two other Australian soldiers were injured.