Tri-Service

Former Servicemen Rally To Support Jailed Royal Marine

The new legal team for jailed Royal Marine Alexander Blackman has delivered a seven-volume report to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

They're asking for Blackman, who was convicted of murdering a seriously injured Taliban insurgent in Afghanistan in September 2011, to have his case reheard by the Court Martial Appeal Court.

Blackman's wife Claire says she is "optimistic" new evidence will see her husband's case back in an appeal court.

Mrs Blackman said the legal documents being handed to the independent CCRC in Birmingham were key to getting the case reheard. She said:

"It's a strong application. There are a considerable number of new points of evidence or evidence of flaws in the original case, so we're cautiously optimistic."

Asked if the case had become a political issue, the 44-year-old said: "It's been made very clear that the two processes are separate and we are only asking for the justice system to give us a fair and open hearing."

Turning to her husband's state of mind, she said: "He's good, he's well, but you know confidence is a strong word for us given what we've been through.

"We're hopeful and we're positive and we're just keeping everything crossed."

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She was speaking at a Justice for Marine A rally in the city, where the CCRC's offices are based.

Organisers estimated about 200 people - mainly veterans - gathered in Birmingham's Eastside Park in a public show of support for Blackman, among them author Frederick Forsyth.

Blackman, 41, was given a life sentence after being convicted of murdering the wounded Afghan captive in Helmand province in September 2011.

The marine, who was serving with Plymouth-based 42 Commando, quoted Shakespeare as he shot his victim in the chest at close range with a 9mm pistol after the Afghan had been seriously injured in an attack by an Apache helicopter.

Footage from another marine's helmet-mounted camera showed Blackman shooting the Afghan prisoner. Blackman was then heard telling him: "There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil, you c***. It's nothing you wouldn't do to us.''

He then turned to comrades and said: "Obviously this doesn't go anywhere, fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention.''

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He denied murder, saying he believed the victim was already dead and he was taking out his anger on a corpse.

Blackman, of Taunton, Somerset, was convicted of murder and jailed for a minimum of 10 years.

His conviction challenge was rejected by the Court Martial Appeal Court, although his minimum term was cut to eight years because of the combat stress disorder he was suffering at the time of the incident.

The Ministry of Defence said in a statement:

"The MoD followed and supported the legal process throughout. This involved a full criminal investigation and a court martial where witnesses were called by both the independent Service Prosecution Authority and defence counsel."