MARINE ‘A’ IS FINALLY FREED AFTER 3 YEARS
Commando out at last
JAILED Royal Marine Alexander Blackman, who shot dead an injured Taliban fighter, was due to be freed last night.
The commando was expected to be reunited with wife Claire early today after spending more than three years locked up.
Known as Marine A during his trial, he was set to be moved out of Erlestoke Prison, near Devizes, Wilts, to a secret location.
Security surrounding his release has been ramped up because his actions in battle would have made him and his wife a terror target.
His family will now be given round-the-clock protection against extremists wanting revenge for the killing of the insurgent in Afghanistan in 2011.
A statement on the Justice for Marine A Facebook group said: “We are delighted to announce that Al will finally be released tomorrow after what has been a well fought battle by you all.”
Sgt Blackman was originally found guilty of murder but the conviction was later quashed.
His original sentence was reduced to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility ® at the Court Martial Appeal Court last month. Judges ruled he was suffering from an “abnormality of mental functioning” during the incident. The shooting was caught on a comrade’s helmet camera showing him blasting the Taliban with a 9mm pistol.
He then quoted a phrase from Shakespeare, “shuffle off this mortal coil”, as the man died. Judges reduced his sentence to seven years, and because he has already spent half that time in jail, he was set for release “within weeks”.
His legal adviser Jonathan Goldberg said filmmakers had been in touch about making a movie.