‘Ludicrous!’ Harry’s fury at Marine A jail sentence
PRINCE HARRY has spoken of his fury at the ‘ludicrous’ sentence handed to a Royal Marine jailed for killing a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan.
The Prince has told friends he is appalled by the treatment of Sergeant Alexander Blackman, 41, who must spend at least eight years behind bars for shooting a fatally wounded enemy combatant in 2011.
Prince Harry, 31, who served two tours of Afghanistan as an Army officer, has also expressed his frustration that as a member of the Royal Family he cannot publicly give his backing to Sgt Blackman, sent to prison in 2013 after being found guilty of murder, because it is such a controversial case.
A close friend of the Prince told The Mail on Sunday last night: ‘Harry is frustrated that he can’t get behind Blackman and his wife, Claire, because “Royal Harry”, as he referred to himself, is not allowed to publicly have an opinion.
‘But “Army Harry” – as he calls the military side of himself – is totally opposed to the current situation surrounding the jailed Royal Marine and finds it all ludicrous. Some of the blow to Prince Harry is cushioned by the level of support for Sgt Blackman and Claire shown by various charities and the public. He is absolutely thrilled by the response.
‘Harry would like to be part of that but he can’t speak out. He realises that is just the way things are. That’s his life and his responsibilities.’
Prince Harry is understood to have shared his feelings about Sgt Blackman’s case when he joined wounded Royal Marines who are undertaking a 72-day charity walk around the UK for injured veterans.
Harry will rejoin the walkers this morning at Buckingham Palace when they finally complete the 1,000-mile Walk Of Britain. Proceeds from the march will go to his charity Walking With The Wounded.
Sgt Blackman’s supporters believed he was made a scapegoat for the wider failure of British high command in Afghanistan.
They claim senior Marines officers failed to spot signs of mental fatigue and stress suffered by troops, including the jailed non-commissioned officer – and that evidence about these failings should have been presented at his murder trial.
Sgt Blackman, who was known as Marine A at his trial, became the first UK serviceman to be found guilty of murder in a war zone since the Second World War.
A jury of military officers heard he blasted the Afghan prisoner in the chest at close range with his 9mm pistol and uttered the words: ‘Shuffle off this mortal coil… It is nothing you wouldn’t do to us.’
Writer Frederick Forsyth has spearheaded a campaign for Sgt Blackman’s conviction to be reduced to manslaughter. A legal campaign fund has so far raised £800,000.
Last week, 700 serving and retired Royal Marines attended a Westminster rally in his support and his wife Claire, 43, delivered a letter setting out her husband’s case to 10 Downing Street.