Marine A case has ‘damaged soldiers’ trust’
THE Marine A case has dented the confidence of troops on the battlefield and the Ministry of Defence must work to restore the trust of soldiers, one of his comrades has said.
Sergeant Rob Driscoll, who was leading a nearby patrol in Afghanistan when Sgt Alexander Blackman, 42, shot a wounded Taliban insurgent, said he did not understand why the Marine had been “so badly treated”.
He made the comments as Sgt Blackman prepares to be sentenced tomorrow for diminished responsibility manslaughter after his murder conviction was quashed. If the new sentence is below six and a half years, he will be released immediately on the basis of the time he has already spent in prison.
Sgt Driscoll said: “I just don’t under- stand why he has been so badly treated and I am anxious to see how he will be treated now.”
He added that he felt it had affected efficiency in the Armed Forces. “There are young lads still in the Marines that will have these considerations to make and I am not sure how that will effect our operational capability.
“The damage has already been done and I think that the MoD has a duty, society has a duty, and Parliament has a duty toward the Armed Forces and that needs to be addressed. You undermine [soldiers’] trust in the system and that has an impact on efficiency.”