Got lucky or deserved more time in prison.

IMO he has got lucky, but it isn’t a position I have ever been in, his comment about keeping quiet as he had breached the Geneva convention is pretty damning.

I personally despise the idea that someone can have an excuse for their actions (mental illness). Murder is still murder. However in his case I heartily approve. It shouldn’t have come to court in the first place. Medal would have been better.
The Geneva convention things was, according to him, about a corpse not a living enemy. Well, the corpse of an enemy is irrelevant and a living enemy is an enemy.

Got lucky or deserved more time in prison.

Both irrelevant.

He is a soldier and a soldier shoots bullets at enemy – dead or alive.

The order is simple annihilate the enemy or be annihilated.

Nobody came out well from this whole episode.
He remains convicted of the unlawful killing of a man for all of the bluster on show outside the court today from his supporters.

How many actually read the judgement?

The judges said: “There can be little doubt that on 15 September 2011 the appellant was angry and vengeful and had a considerable degree of hatred for the wounded insurgent. On prior deployments, similar emotions had been controlled by him.

“The appellant’s decision to kill was probably impulsive and the adjustment disorder had led to an abnormality of mental functioning that substantially impaired his ability to exercise self-control.”

And that judgement was wrong.

He killed a seriously injured enemy.

The other options appear to have been:

a) Call in a medivac and expose his platoon to risk
b) Leave the guy to die slowly and painfully

I know what I would of done.

It should of never of got to court.

And that judgement was wrong.

In your opinion and that of others. However it was the judgement of a court of law.

I expect that only a few on here are even remotely qualified to comment on this matter.

But it’s the internet so do carry on

I agree.

I don’t think we have any qualified judges on STW.

qualified to comment

Oh? Do explain

Ah, but the genie had been let out of the bottle. Much of the chat section here is opinion. In mine, of course, its all wrong!
I suspect the point is that many people disapprove of our courts in some way or another. Naturally we all have our own little views.
I agree that in many ways many of us are not qualified in that we do not know the letter of the law. However our collective opinion is what makes society.
Who was it who said that the law is an ass?

The other options appear to have been:
a) Call in a medivac and expose his platoon to risk
b) Leave the guy to die slowly and painfully

Having spoken to some who were in theatre at the time…

Nearly all agree it was wrong..

Most say they’d have done something similar..

You’re risking a heli & its crew for someone who’d happily slot you. Include his fractured state of mind & it’s not too hard to see how it came about.

There are higher-ups who should be called to task but I bet they probably won’t be.

Damn mess.

The only thing that was done wrong was filming the bloody thing and then not deleting it.
I know a few people who would have been in nick if mobile phones and body cams were more popular when I was in the army

Can honestly say I would have done the exact same thing.
With or without mental illness as an excuse/diagnosis.

In theatre you do not risk your team, others, etc for the sake of an enemy that seconds before had been trying to make you the casualty.

Its not an execution – its an expedient measure to release resources where they are needed most.
That most certainly isn’t trying to save the unsaveable.

I’d have done the same. In fact, I’d have shot him whether he was moving/screaming or not. I’d also have ensured that none of my patrol were permitted to wear head cams.
I have heard rumours (from very reliable sources) about how this came to light. The whole thing has been a shit show.

The only thing that was done wrong was filming the bloody thing and then not deleting it.
I know a few people who would have been in nick if mobile phones and body cams were more popular when I was in the army

This.

Could he not just have left him to die? “Oh sorry thought he was dead”. I’ve not or never will be in that situation so I dont know but the whole thing seems all kinds of wrong to me. Like that Israeli guy who shot the injured bloke.

If he’d shot the insurgent from a distance or at least done it without the audience and the purposeful words he used, he would have gotten away with it. Unfortunately he was made a point of the execution and on camera (the video had been running long before, so I expect he was aware of it – although he may say he wasnt).
There are rules of engagement and he has broken them, on film and pretty blatantly. For this, he has to pay for his mistakes else what is the point? It provides more material for the enemy, breaks the law and is embarrassing to the British armed forces.
I’m not saying I dont agree with the killing, I’m saying he was a fool to have gone about it the way he did. This whole court case should have been behind closed doors away from the public.

The only thing that was done wrong was filming the bloody thing and then not deleting it.
I know a few people who would have been in nick if mobile phones and body cams were more popular when I was in the army

in effect you are saying his only crime was getting caught?

no wonder some people distrust the army as this would reinforce their prejudices.

“There are rules of engagement and he has broken them, on film and pretty blatantly. For this, he has to pay for his mistakes else what is the point? It provides more material for the enemy, breaks the law and is embarrassing to the British armed forces.”

this

Could he not just have left him to die?

He would remain a risk to your unit. If matey feels better all of a sudden and tramples up from behind and starts shooting your mates, you’re going to feel a bit of a berk.

He would remain a risk to your unit. If matey feels better all of a sudden and tramples up from behind and starts shooting your mates, you’re going to feel a bit of a berk

True I suppose. I’ve not looked at it all much but someone up there said he was seriously injured so I presumed he wasnt moving. Surely you just keep shooting from a distance so he could still ve a threat.. or not have cameras? The whole thing seems very odd are cameras usual?

I don’t think matey was in a fit state to do anything.

If we start to behave like the Taliban, randomly executing people, we lose our moral compass, and the whole point of being there.

‘Shuffle off this mortal coil.’

He should have been locked up purely for coming out with this. What a waste.

A situation like this calls for one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s action movie one liners, not Shakespeare.

I’ve been very disappointed with the headlines on this case today “Marine to be freed”. Followed by pictures of the supporters cheering.

I think his wife has handled it with some dignity today, and the judges comment that if we act like this we are no better than the terrorists.

The news is “Marine convicted of unlawful killing nears end of custodial part of revised sentence”

Not quite so catchy.

He executed a prisoner and made a joke of it. There’s no defending that.

Would 7 years have been enough for a Taliban doing the same to a soldier?

Jujuuk68 – Member
If we start to behave like the Taliban, randomly executing people, we lose our moral compass, and the whole point of being there.

Hardly a random execution in this case. The fact that it made the news and conviction shows that it’s exceptional. However, the “point of being there” was never a moral one. It was/is about wealth and power.

True I suppose. I’ve not looked at it all much but someone up there said he was seriously injured so I presumed he wasnt moving. Surely you just keep shooting from a distance so he could still ve a threat.. or not have cameras? The whole thing seems very odd are cameras usual?

Cameras are a newer thing. I was surprised to see it permitted but I expect they like the footage for review. The lads like making cool war movies to show their mates too!

There is only one way to ensure beyond any doubt that someone ceases to be a threat.

That chap wasn’t a prisoner. He was a belligerent, still armed and in the field.

He killed someone who was going to to die anyway – don’t think I’ve seen anyone claim he was other than fatally wounded.

Should not have done it. Should not have made light of it. Should have been jailed for it, and has been. But not the same as the summary execution of an able bodied prisoner.

Very difficult to decide if the sentence is sufficient. I feel it probably is, in the specific circumstances of the case.

Is he subject to a dishonourable discharge as well, if these still exist?

If we start to behave like the Taliban, randomly executing people, we lose our moral compass, and the whole point of being there

He wasn’t randomly executed. If you mean someone felt justified in shooting dead/executing what they consider a threat then we’ve been doing that for a long time.

What do you think happens with drone strikes, a cheeky tickle and a buttock fondle?

CHEWKW hit the nail on the head ^^

Yes I am jimw. having been in the army I totally understand why it needed to be done. I Just can’t understand how they were so stupid as to get caught

Well Firestarter, I am afraid ‘being in the army’ is not sufficient grounds for breaking the law in my book. if this offends you, well so be it. it is only my opinion after all

“Could he not just have left him to die? “Oh sorry thought he was dead”. I’ve not or never will be in that situation so I dont know but the whole thing seems all kinds of wrong to me.”

This.

7 years for this, the most understandable and forgivable of murders seems about right to me and not very different to the original sentence. Given that justice seems to have been done AFAIC.

I bet Islamists are using this event in their propaganda. 🙁

EDIT, actually, not going to get involved.

Jimw It doesn’t offend me in the slightest I’m not sure where I gave the impression that it might have.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and those opinions will be different from person to person. Some speak from experience some from their beliefs. It’s what makes the world go round

Although it does seem quite interesting the difference in opinions of people who have been in combat and those that haven’t

Members of the armed forces and other persons mentioned in the following Article,

go on…..

So the gunship pilot who keeps firing when the enemy are down and wounded, does he get charged with murder?

Personally I’m glad he’s going to be released.

If he wore another countries uniform or say belonged to ISIS and did this how sympathetic would folk be in this scenario?
IMHO the “illness” is just a convenient way because we all feel sorry for one of our brave boys [ even me to some degree] and we do know that some do indeed get mental illness and have difficulties after the fog of war. However in this case I think its a reason/excuse so we can have a “populist” decision that we support only because of the uniform he wears and an emotive reaction rather than the facts.

Actually, if he wore the uniform of another nations country it would be a very different thing indeed for me at least.