Marine Has Murder Conviction Reduced

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39278929

I seem to recall that this case has raised a few hackles here on AB....this is the latest news.

[whiskeryron]

//He made a mistake Murray? Isn't he the Marine that shot dead an insurgent in cold blood and then admitted it on camera?
To my mind it was murder plain and simple - I appreciate that I differ from most on here but you can't get away from what he did. //
Right, next case Tony Blair !!

[Peter Pedant]

yeah I did
( clutching my title deeds or whatever - hey this is AB so none of it has to make sense )

I cant say it changed my mind

apparently it is not in our interests to see the whole video
( long bit about dragging the fella across the field outside the purview of the 'Ugly' is omitted by court order )

made a nonsense of the original defence plea.

transcript in the case already cited by slaney or myself
unprepossessing script - is he dead yet - lets shoot the shogger - shuffle off this mortal coil you cant - I have just broken the geneva convention OK ?


I mean the main message is switch your viddie off !
you know like the police do ....
Sgt B is a lucky lucky man ( and will be out soon )

[ChillDoubt]

Sgt B is a lucky lucky man ( and will be out soon )

Indeed! Lucky that he got the insurgent before the roles were reversed. After all, the intel suggests he and his cohorts had been attacking Royal Marines on that tour with some success and at an alarming rate.....

[ladybirder]

Thanks for posting that Chill, just watched it.
If they had called for medical help, i.e. a well equipped plane with skilled staff coming into land it would have played right into the enemy's hands who would have targeted it and more of our guys would very likely have been killed.

[ChillDoubt]

You're welcome ladybirder.
Just a shame several more didn't watch it, if only to avail themselves of the circumstances.

[Peter Pedant]

// If they had called for medical help,....//

excuse me we are discussing a man who shoots another with the words "shuffle off this mortal coil you cant"

there is not a hint that he is thinking of or gonna call an Ugly
in fact he says "lets us get him outside the ambit of an Ugly" perhaps because there is a camera there - so calling for help is just about as likely as growing a pair of wings and flying away.

perhaps I am being too harsh
I mean yes ! perhaps if he had dialled 999 - he might have been able to get him into one of those over crowded London A+Es where he would have waited for three hours for help and died anyway.....

[ChillDoubt]

there is not a hint that he is thinking of or gonna call an Ugly
in fact he says "lets us get him outside the ambit of an Ugly"
----------------------
Maybe you need to watch the programme again.
Call sign 'Ugly'(the Apache Longbow helicopter) remains in the area, so it's already there. They moved the insurgent into cover as they were exposed to further threat whilst in the open.
What they DIDN'T want was to waste time and risk lives of more British Serviceman by calling a MERT(Medical Emergency Recovery Team) for an insurgent who wasn't much longer for this world, hence Blackman gave him the coup de grace.
Given that the insurgent was found in posession of an AK47 and grenade Blackman could have shot him(and been well within his rights to do so) in full view of the 'Ugly' camera.