‘Having my son home for Mother’s Day will be the best gift ever’
Sgt Alexander Blackman’s mother cried for joy when she learnt her son’s murder conviction was quashed
THE mother of every soldier is able to name a thousand worries that race through their mind when their child is serving on the front line.
Like many others, Frances Blackman was preoccupied with whether her son might lose a limb or even his life in the most dangerous square mile on Earth, and gave no thought to the legal ramifications of his actions on the battlefield.
While most find relief when their loved ones return home, the family of Sgt Alexander Blackman, 42, found themselves fighting a battle to overturn the only murder conviction known against a British serviceman for actions on a foreign battlefield.
After more than three years, the Court of Appeal last week quashed his conviction and replaced it with one for manslaughter after hearing of the mental illness Blackman suffered as a result of combat stress.
When Mrs Blackman, 77, heard the news she cried tears of joy rather than despair for the first time in years, and she is now hopeful that he will be home in time for Mothering Sunday in what would be “the best present ever”.
As they approach the end of the arduous legal fight on Friday, when the judges will pass a new sentence for the lesser offence, she has particular praise for one woman – her daughter-in-law.
“Claire deserves a medal,” she said in a rare interview. “It can be hard for a mum to give up their boys to another woman, but when you see what she has done for him you can’t have any doubt how much she loves him.”
Blackman, also known as Marine A, was convicted of murder in 2013 after a fellow Royal Marine unwittingly filmed him shooting dead a wounded Taliban insurgent as he came to the end of a gruelling six-month tour of Afghanistan.
The original court martial did not hear any evidence as to his mental state and the option of manslaughter was not considered, leading to the later quashing of the verdict.
If Blackman is resentenced to six and a half years’ imprisonment or less on Friday, he will be released immediately on the basis of the three and a half years he has already served in prison.
When she learnt of his successful ap- peal, Mrs Blackman, a former hairdresser, said: “I was crying. Tears were streaming down my face. I’ve shed quite a few tears the past few years but these were tears of joy. I’m just so happy.”
Mrs Blackman admitted she had been “shocked” by her son’s actions, but says they might never have occurred if he had been properly supported.
“He promised the mums of the other Marines that he would look after their sons. I think that’s what he was doing, looking after his troops,” she said.
“If he had a padre or someone else of senior rank with him to talk to I’m sure this wouldn’t have happened. It’s life and death.
“Every time they went out on patrol they didn’t know if they were going to be blown to pieces. Every step could have been their last step.
“You are living on your nerves. Alexander would have put himself in danger rather than anyone else.”
It comes as a military row broke out over the descriptions used in Blackman’s defence of his unit as feral and out of control, with one former commanding officer saying that it had tarnished the reputation of other troops.
Colonel Oliver Lee, who quit his post in protest at Blackman’s murder conviction, last night hit back at the criticism of the evidence he provided.
He said: “I should start by saying that I have great respect for 42 Commando, a unit I have served twice to include on operations in Iraq.
“My sole intention has been for Sergeant Blackman to be treated justly. I am pleased that fair and transparent legal proceedings are now complete.”