Marine’s ‘profound sense of relief’ at sentence

ROYAL MARINE Alexander Blackman has spoken of his “profound sense of relief” after his sentence for shooting dead an injured Taliban fighter in Afghanistan was reduced.

The commando, who has spent more than three years in jail since being convicted of murdering the insurgent, also paid tribute to his wife for providing support he said “simply sustained me”.

Following an appeal, judges sentenced Blackman to seven years for diminished responsibility manslaughter, meaning that because of time already served he could be freed next month.

He said he had been “braced for the worst” during the hearing at the Court Martial Appeal Court in London on Tuesday.

He said: “My heart sank when the judge started talking about my current sentence being the equivalent of 16 years, and I thought it was somehow leading to a larger sentence.

“I just felt a profound sense of relief when they said seven.”

Claire Blackman said she was “overjoyed” at the outcome, having tirelessly campaigned for her husband’s release.

She said: “This is the moment that we have all been fighting hard for. It is hard to believe that this day is finally here.”

Blackman said he is “an extremely lucky man to have Claire as a wife”.

A panel of five judges, headed by Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas, sentenced Blackman, 42, from Taunton in Somerset, to the term of seven years following the recent quashing of his murder conviction for the 2011 killing.

One of Blackman’s legal team indicated he would probably be released in about two weeks, but the decision on the exact date is for the Prison Service to determine.

Meanwhile the Blackmans will receive police protection when he is released from prison, according to reports. Blackman and his wife Claire must take precautions at their home in Taunton, Somerset because his actions have made him a terrorist target.