Royal Marine Convicted Of Murder

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24877081

Just heard two people being interviewed on the Today program about this.
One of them suggested at perhaps 5 years would be ok for this murderer.
Given that there is a current discussion on AB this morning about the 18 years doled out to another murderer, What do people think about this ?

I realise that the two crimes are vastly different.

[jake-the-peg]

5 years is too little - that's commensurate with a moderately serious assault charge.

There are mitigating circumstances true - but there are also aggravating ones.

He plead not guilty despite some incredibly damning evidence and there was a lot of attempts to disguise what had happened

This was not a moment of weakness that he regretted - he regretted getting caught.

I would think a tariff of about 8-10 years would be what I would think was appropriate

[sandyRoe]

It's there was no video evidence to throw light on this alleged incident.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23924627

[sandyRoe]

* It's a pity there was no...^

[grumpy01]

Childoubt,I can understand patrols being filmed for training purposes but this would seem to be somewhat out of the sphere of a normal patrol.

[andy-hughes]

G - " ...these soldiers have been forced to endure."

Have they reintroduced conscription and not told anyone?

Every member of our current serving military personal is paid to do a job for which they sign up with no duress or pressure, knowing the likelihood of being sent into a war situation (the nature of the training is a bit of a giveaway - guns - human-shaped targets etc).

So if your observation is an attempt to excuse of justify this action, it is seriously misplaced.

[FredPuli43]

AOG , as I have said on another thread, this man was being tried by a 'jury' of 7 officers, who, incidentally, had the benefit of hearing all the evidence, unlike any other officer who may choose to comment. Do you doubt that that board had experience of service and were familiar with the stresses that combat and the soldier's life put on him ?

[FredPuli43]

^ Omitted words: "evidence, and were sworn to try it, unlike..." ^

[bazwillrun]

Should be putting a medal on him..one less scummy terrorist thug to have to deal with

[FredPuli43]

You'd make a great soldier, baz ! There is something about the great traditions of the British Army, which you may be lacking, unless you go a long way back to the Victorian days of the Raj, when these traditions occasionally got forgotten.

[ChillDoubt]

Childoubt,I can understand patrols being filmed for training purposes but this would seem to be somewhat out of the sphere of a normal patrol.
--------------------------
grumpy,
Please define 'normal patrol'. I went on several during my time in HM Forces.
Several turned into anything but. Weapons find? IED find? IED under SF civilian vehicle.
SF in W. Germany murdered in IRA attack?
I was first on the scene for this one. Poor chap was literally cut in half down the middle:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/officers-killers-used-irish-battle-cry-army-wife-tells-court-of-husbands-shooting-1506964.html

No such thing as a 'normal patrol'. You literally have no idea what is going to happen. SF Forces in Afghanistan now use recording equipment on pretty much every patrol. It's an SOP.

[grumpy01]

Chilldoubt the incidents of which you speak are what I imagine our service personnel experience on a regular basis and are patrols from which valuable experience can be gained and ways of planning for future operations can be formulated.I cannot,however,understand why this incident was filmed surely as an experienced R.M. sergeant he must have known what the consequences would be because this doesn't appear to have been anything but murder.