Sergeant Alexander Blackman named ahead of sentencing as Royal Marine who murdered Afghan insurgent

 
File photo dated 14/10/2001 of Royal Marine Sergeant Alexander Wayne Blackman, convicted of murdering an injured insurgent in Afghanistan, who has been publicly named for the first time today. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Monday December 5, 2013. His name was disclosed following a ruling at the High Court by Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas, Mr Justice Tugendhat and Mr Justice Holroyde, which lifted an anonymity order preventing him being identified. On November 8 a court martial board found a commando, known only as Marine A, guilty of murdering the man in Helmand more than two years ago. See PA story COURTS Marines. Photo credit should read: Andrew Parsons/PA Wire
Andrew Parsons/PA Wire
6 December 2013
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The Royal Marine convicted of murdering a seriously wounded Taliban prisoner in Afghanistan was publicly named for the first time today as Sergeant Alexander Wayne Blackman.

His identity was disclosed following a landmark ruling at the High Court which lifted an anonymity order despite warnings from his lawyers that he and his family would be a target for extremists.

Campaigners had warned that letting a convicted murderer hide behind a veil of secrecy would seriously undermine the principle of open justice.

Blackman, 39, was found guilty at court martial last month of the September 2011 killing which was inadvertently captured on helmet camera footage.

After firing his pistol into the stricken man, he told him to “shuffle off this mortal could you c***”.

He then turned to his comrades and told them he had just broken the Geneva Convention.

Clips showed Blackman, a member of 42 Commando, shoot the badly wounded armed insurgent in the chest at point-blank range after finding the man in the middle of a field where after he had been hit by cannon fire from an Apache helicopter gunship.

The married soldier has 15 years’ experience in the Royal Marines, having joined in 1998 and has completed three tours in Iraq, two in Afghanistan and one in Northern Ireland during his military career.

He was in charge of Command Post Omar in Helmand province during Operation Herrick 14 in 2011 when the incident happened.

An expert in heavy weapons, including machine guns, he was credited with building good relations with the local population there.

Blackman, from Taunton, Somerset, faces life in prison after being found guilty of murdering the badly injured insurgent in cold blood. He will be sentenced tomorrow.

He is the first British soldier to be convicted of murder on the battlefield since the Second World War.

Two other Royal Marines with him, who were acquitted of murder and who are currently identified only as Marines B and C are still waiting to hear if they will be named.

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