Excellent news. Sgt Alexander Blackman has his sentence reduced.

I didn`t watch the Panorama programme - this could so easily have been my son, I`m afraid I cannot bear to know some of the details.

I hope Sgt Blackman will be home very soon and I really hope he will be left in peace and allowed to recover. However I wouldn`t be at all surprised if he sells his story. After this episode he has no job and very few career prospects - if he is offered lots of money by a newspaper and he has no other options who could blame him?

Apologies Luckygirl if that is not what you meant, but you kept referring to him as a 'young man' and about young men from chaotic backgrounds, lacking intellectual skills, joining the Army.

He is not that young, he is 41 and has presumably risen through the ranks to Sergeant and, as I said before, in a senior role of responsibility; Sergeants typically are second in command of a troop or platoon of up to 35 soldiers, with the important responsibility for advising and assisting junior officers.

He would have been in overall charge as no senior officers visited the outpost (!), his junior lieutenant (whom *he had mentored*) was killed. He was in charge day and night, fearing that they would be killed by stealthy insurgents during the night.

He was diagnosed as mentally ill after his trial as having an adjustment disorder caused by extreme stress, by a Professor of Psychiatry. "In Sgt Blackman's case he did not have a mental assessment before his trial, something that is routine in civilian murder cases."

I was replying to whitewave's comment that she would not like any of her loved ones to join the forces
Well, of course, no mother really wants her child to join the forces if they are being sent off to hell-holes like that.

But I expect they would be very glad indeed to see someone's else's son or daughter put their life on the line to defend them and their families if need be.

There are quite a few of us on here with military connections so I'm wondering how others felt about the jubilation/celebrations of Sgt. Blackman's supporters outside the court yesterday when the verdict was announced.

I'm really pleased for him, his wife and family but I shuddered when I saw the air punching and raucous shouting.

A little dignity - as exhibited by Sgt. Blackman's wife, would have put the whole episode in a better light.

I didn't see it, but they must be so happy that he will now be coming out of prison.

I have mixed feelings about this case , I didn't like the air punching

I saw the crowds outside the court last week - they were noisy, boisterous, blocking the pavement, spelling into the road from the pub, all had drinks in their hands - dignified it wasn't.

And of course he'll get a job - probably a really good one. As well as sell his story - but would that count as benefitting from a crime? I thought you couldn't do that

I don't think it's against the law - I think you are not allowed to inherit if you murdered the person you inherited from iyswim

I don't think the rest of a man's life should be wrecked because he acted out of character in a moment of extreme stress which followed a stressful tour - which no-one on here can possibly comprehend -and for which he has paid the price.

Sgt Blackman's wife has behaved in an exemplary way throughout.

Pleased he will be released soon. I hope he does sell his story and makes some money for his family. He will have lost his army pension, as well as three and a half years of family life.

I hope he gets a really good job Rigby - or would you prefer him to hide away from the world and live on benefits?

I heard recently on a radio programme that a doctor felt that with the injuries the Taliban fighter had received he would not have lived more than a few minutes anyway, also if a helicopter had been called in to evacuate him to hospital the Taliban would have shot it down and killed more of our soldiers. I am pleased Sgt Blackman will, hopefully, be released soon.

I hope he doesn't write a book,

I don't see why he shouldn't write a book about his experiences Anniebach,. I agree with Jalima and magpie. We send our soldiers out to fight in extreme conditions with apparently little support, we need to hear from them not just a sanitised version.

Because Christine, I am against anyone making money from a crime and what was said at the trials were not sanitised versions.

I did say I hope he gets a really good job; if he wants to write about his experiences that is up to him but I didn't say whether I agreed or disagreed with that, I just said that it is not against the law as far as I am aware.
If he wants to write about it then that could be a cathartic experience but, personally, I doubt that he will, although no doubt the tabloids will be phoning him as soon as he is released. I hope they leave him alone to come to terms with it all, with the help of his wife and family.

Had he not done what he did, then he would probably have the deaths of several of his soldiers on his conscience now - if he survived himself that is.

But Jalima , if the man he shot was dying how could he have killed anyone ? The charge was not shooting the enemy but shooting a seriously injured enemy

I think they were supposed to take injured enemy fighters through dangerous territory or by helicopter back for treatment - the soldiers could have been killed on the ground or the helicopter shot down by other Taliban in the vicinity.

Strange, really, that if that Taliban fighter had been killed instantly instead of severely wounded none of this would have happened.

Ironic.

and the enemy fighter would have been killed too by their own side.

Even more ironic.

My comment about his getting a job was in response to another poster saying he wouldn't be able to - RTFT before having yet another go at me. Where on earth did that comment about me wanting him to hide away and live on benefits come from? And I suggest that next time you criticise me you might try reading the context of my post before jumping in - right?

You are in a good mood today Rigby !!

The tone of your post did make it sound as it you didn't think he should be offered a good job or be able to make any money now, which, of course, would mean that he would have to live on benefits.

However, if that is not what you meant at all and you now wish him well for the future, then I apologise.

It is good that this man has been tried and served some time for his crime. It is also good that he is now released, as recognition of the pressure he was under, for which we will all have sympathy. The important thing is that it has demonstrated very clearly indeed to those countries who have no idea what democracy means that British people do care a great deal about honour and justice. He was not allowed to walk away from this act as the rule of law guides our democracy and what he did was not acceptable.

I am very aware of the personal issues here - his state of mind, his family and loved ones etc. But there is no way that this could have been ignored, as it would have sent out the wrong message to others. When serving abroad military personnel represent this country and an act of cold blooded murder is not to be countenanced.

What a mess for him and for his poor family. Let us hope that he can pick up the pieces of his life and move forward. And let us hope that the proper support services will be thee for him.

It is very undignified when his supporters behave in a raucous manner - but he cannot be held responsible for that.

If the taliban fighter had been killed instantly there would have been no crime committed,

there