Excellent news. Sgt Alexander Blackman has his sentence reduced.

I wonder what any of us would do under the circumstances? Try to take him for medical aid in the knowledge that you and the men under you would probably be killed in the process, along with the fighter or leave him there to die?

I don't think any of us know what we would do under those extreme circumstances.

The incident took place in Helmand Province during Operation Herrick 14,[6] part of the British effort in the War in Afghanistan. Blackman, of 42 Commando, Royal Marines,[14] was part of a Marine patrol that came across an Afghan fighter in a field wounded by Apache Helicopter gunfire.[1][5][8] Blackman ordered the Afghan to be moved out of sight of the British Persistent Ground Surveillance System,[1] a camera on a balloon above British Forward Operating Base Shazad, Helmand, covering the area Blackman's patrol had been sent to.[9] Video evidence played at the Marines' subsequent trial shows some of the patrol dragging the man across the field and then kicking him.[15] Blackman ordered Marine B and C to stop administering first aid to the insurgent[1] and eventually shot the man in the chest with a 9 mm pistol,[8][15]saying: "Shuffle off this mortal coil, you cunt. It's nothing you wouldn't do to us."[5][11][15][16] He then added: "I just broke the Geneva Convention."[3][17]

I've poster this to remind some of you what actually happened. At the time of the shooting no soldier's life was in danger. He committed manslaughter and whilst I can understand why it was right to change it from murder, he is not a poor innocent. His supporters would do well to remember that - he is not an example of how we would want our soldiers to behave. As we discuss this, we know for a fact that there are many ex-soldiers that no one is supporting - they are mentally ill, homeless on the street so, living in poverty . If he writes a book he could donate the proceeds to the charities that help ex-soldiers like this.

I agree Jalima, no one knows what they would have done but this can be said of any murder/manslaughter crime

But not usually in those circumstances in wartime.

And Jalima we are not trained soldiers so what we would do in the circumstances you outline is completely irrelevant

It was never given as a defence that their lives were in danger was it at the moment of the shooting - which was well planned and premeditated by him

If anyone's interested there is a fundraising for this family.

That is so chilling Rigby - certainly not the behaviour of an honourable British soldier.

He has served his time and now just needs to get on with his life, knowing that he has done wrong. This has been brought home to him very clearly.

Joining the armed forces is a choice which carries with it certain standards of behaviour which he breached. He could not have expected to get away with it completely.

It does make you winder how many other acts of this kind take place that we know nothing about.

I'm not defending his actions, though i suppose I am because I accept he was/is suffering from combat stress.
The tour was described as 'the tour from hell'. He will live with combat stress, presumably for the rest of his life. The impact on his relationships can't be under estimated. I can't understand why the evidence of ptsd/combat stress wasn't used in his first court martial trial. He's served almost three years, that's enough imo.

He has been rightly convicted, served his time, but apparently we should keep on punishing him.

I agree Iam and he has served his time.
As Jalima says we don't know what it's like to be a soldier and how we would react in the hellish situation that was Helmand.Or any war situation.
We certainly should not keep punishing him and I hope he does get a good job and his life back on track.

He was charged, found guilty and served a sentence, that's it, I just hope he doesn't make money from the crime.

I wonder if his wife will write a book ,

No one on this thread Jalima is saying we should keep on punishing him but your posts seem to demonstrate a congenital inability to read certain other prople's posts properly. Some posters, and you were one of them, were misrepresenting the truth about what happened and I thought it was necessary to put the record straight. Our prisons are full of many many prisoners with serious mental health and learning disabilities who were never diagnosed or had that taken into account during their trial. And most ex prisoners find it hard to get back into employment. We should have a much better criminal justice system for all not just the 'chosen few'.

.......but how many of those people you talk about in the prisons have been serving their country on active duty? Therein lies the difference.

Actually roses you truly are the gift that keeps on giving - you really should google before you post. 10% of prisoners at any one time are ex armed forces. Ex armed forces still sometimes end up homeless and those with mental health problems will be over represented in both groups. Their mental health will be in some cases a result of combat stress. So the point I am making is that this is an ongoing problem which high profile cases do nothing to help. That's why I said if he and/ or his wife write a book/ have an interview with the DM etc, they could spare a thought for the many colleagues who have had no one to support them and who have not been convicted of manslaughter.

And you appear to be the rudeness that keeps on giving Rigby
I did say how many, not that Sgt Blackman was the only one.Do read the post properly next time.

I think we will hear more from Mrs Blsckman

Good that you answered rosesarered's question rigby - 10%, thank you.

And no, I don't have a congenital disability - what a thing to say when many people do have one and may be struggling to live as a consequence.

It would be nice if you could try to answer posts without being rude constantly.
Other posters manage it even if they disagree.

Rigby, we can all disagree but you went too far with your insult to Jalima, who the hell do you think you are that you can post such a vile insult , do apologise please and take this thread out of the manure you have dumped it in.

Do you know what it is like to be born with a congenital disability?

It seems to me that if we agree that whatever he did, he was suffering from some form of mental health problem caused by stress, then the wrong person was originally charged and it should have been the commanding officer who was charged for sending out a man clearly unfit for active duty

Ab that is so ridiculously over the top and you know it. Congenital can be used to mean long standing or nveterate - as in congenital liar. On this thread Jalima has deliberately misinterpreted what I said more than once. She accused me of wanting this soldier not to get a job and to live on benefits. I neither said nor implied any such thing. She also was not accurate in what she posted about the circumstances in which he killed the Afghan. So if there's any manure on this thread, you can look in her direction.

FFS * Jalima* grow up - I said you were congenitally incapable of reading posts properly after you had been bloody insulting towards me, posting that I had said something I had not and never would have done. I would never wish any ex prisoner to not have a job and live on benefits and it was completely unacceptable of you to say that I did.

You also said that several of us wanted to keep punishing him - another lying insult

All right <holds her hands up>. I've reflected and whilst the phrase 'congenital inability' was never on my list of things not to say ( along with congenital liar) I can see that it could and did hurt people and for that I'm truly sorry and I won't use it again.

Rigby, why don't you do us all a favour and just go away?