A Royal Marines sergeant faces life imprisonment after being found guilty of murdering a seriously wounded Afghan insurgent in Helmand province in 2011. The court martial at Bulford, Wiltshire, heard that Marine A shot the victim in the chest after dragging him to the side of a field. Two other marines, identified only as Marines B and C, were cleared of murder and allowed to return to their unit.
The verdict, delivered by Judge Blackett, marks the first time a British serviceman has been convicted of murder during an overseas operation in modern times. The Royal Marines described the incident as a 'truly shocking and appalling aberration.' Marine A, an experienced marine in his 30s, will be sentenced next month following psychiatric reports.
The prosecution's case centred on a video from a helmet camera worn by Marine B, which showed the insurgent being abused and then shot. The video was not released publicly due to concerns it could be used as a recruitment tool by extremists. The judge noted that the mandatory sentence for murder is life imprisonment, with a minimum term to be determined later.
