Marines on murder charge

FIVE ROYAL MARINES charged with murdering a Taliban insurgent are not thought to be from 45 Commando in Arbroath.

A Courier source connected to the elite force said yesterday that all of the troops set to face trial are understood to be members of 42 Commando, based near Plymouth.

Since Thursday, Royal Military Police (RMP) has arrested nine marines on suspicion of committing murder in Afghanistan in 2011.

Four have been released without charge, pending further inquiries.

A statement from the MoD said: “The RMP has referred the cases of the remaining five Royal Marines to the independent Service ProsecutingAuthority (SPA).

“Following direction from the SPA, these marines have now been charged with murder and they remain in custody pending court proceedings.”

The identities of the five marines are yet to be released and the SPA is expected to set a date for a court martial within the next few days.

Bruce Houlder QC, the director of service prosecutions, will oversee the next stage of the process.

The soldiers were ar rested in connection with an incident in Helmand last year, described as “an engagement with an insurgent” which did not involve civilians.

Suspicious video footage was found on a serviceman’s laptop by civilian police in the UK, prompting an investigation.

The arrests are thought to be the first time UK servicemen have been held on suspicion of such charges during the conflict in Afghanistan.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said he was determined that the rules of engagement were followed in Afghanistan, but said he could not comment on the specifics of this case. The rules of engagement, largely derived from the Geneva Convention, dictate under what circumstances British troops are allowed to open fire, whether that is to prevent an attack by the enemy or in direct contact.

A court martial is a public court with similar powers to a crown court and can impose prison sentences, fines or other forms of justice depending upon the nature of the crime.

They are presided over by a judge advocate and a board of up to seven lay members, individuals with no legal training much like a jury in civilian courts.