Defence Secretary Philip Hammond rejects appeal for murdered Royal Marine
DEFENCE Secretary Philip Hammond has rejected calls for clemency for a Royal Marine who murdered an enemy captive in Afghanistan.
The serviceman, known only as Marine A, was convicted on Friday of killing the badly wounded insurgent after footage emerged of him shooting the man in his chest.
Speaking on a visit to Helmand province, Mr Hammond said: “These are standards that are core to our values as a society and core to the values of the British Armed Forces.
“I have heard no suggestion since I have been here there is any request for special treatment for anyone convicted of the crime of murder.”
Mr Hammond’s views were reflected by General Sir Nicholas Houghton, Chief of the Defence Staff, on BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show.
He insisted: “My position on this is that no serviceman or woman of the British Armed Forces is above the law – not above the law of the country, international law or the law of armed conflict.”
Marine A’s trial was told a patrol discovered the insurgent lying injured in a field during September 2011.
Superiors were informed the man died from wounds following a helicopter attack.
But a year later, film of the murder – from a camera mounted on the helmet of another Marine – was found by military police.
Royal Marines commander Major General Julian Thompson, refused to condemn Marine A, claiming that a five-year prison term would be more suitable than life imprisonment.
He said: “Obviously, it was wrong and everyone in the Royal Marines is quite clear about that.”