Soldier convicted of murder was suffering from ‘mental and physical exhaustion’ which chiefs failed to spot
New report finds that Sergeant Alexander Blackman, who shot an injured member of the Taliban at close-range in Helmand in 2011, found it difficult to change his attitude towards enemy
A MARINE convicted of murder was suffering mental and physical exhaustion and senior officers missed several warning signs, according to a new report.
Sergeant Alexander Blackman's Royal Marine Unit were suffering from 'moral regression, psychological strain and fatigue' whilst on tour in Afghanistan when Blackman shot an injured Taliban fighter.
Sergeant Blackman - known as Marine A - was convicted by a military court of murder after shooting the victim in the chest at close range with a 9mm pistol after he had been injured in an Apache helicopter attack in 2011.
Footage from another marine's helmet-mounted camera showed Blackman, who was serving with Plymouth-based 42 Commando in Helmand, shooting the Afghan prisoner while quoting Shakespeare.
Blackman was heard telling him: "There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil, you c***. It's nothing you wouldn't do to us."
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He then turned to comrades and said: "Obviously this doesn't go anywhere, fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention."
Blackman, of Taunton, Somerset denied murder, saying he believed the victim was already dead and he was taking out his anger on a corpse.
Last week he won the right to appeal against his conviction, for which he is serving a life sentence with a minimum of eight years in prison, following the presentation of new evidence relating to his mental health at the time of the murder.
An internal review carried out by the Royal Navy into the circumstances surrounding the killing has identified a series of factors that contributed to the incident, including insufficient supervision, an "overly aggressive" culture by 42 Commando and "moral disengagement" on the part of Blackman and his colleagues.
A summary of the report, which has been released by the Ministry of Defence, revealed Blackman's commanding officer in J Company had been injured and a new officer took over at short notice.
It said:"He had not therefore been prepared for the role and faced a considerable challenge in taking up this command in a demanding area of operations.
"The face-to-face supervision by the officer commanding J Company of Checkpoint Omar, where Sgt Blackman's multiple was based, was insufficient to identify a number of warning signs that could have indicated that they were showing evidence of moral regression, psychological strain and fatigue.
"Sgt Blackman allowed professional standards to slip to an unacceptably low level at Checkpoint Omar. His poor leadership was a significant contributory factor in the way the insurgent was treated by other members of the patrol.
"Sgt Blackman's rank was a significant contributory factor in preventing others within the patrol from questioning his orders or challenging his actions. Moral disengagement on the part of Sgt Blackman and the members of his multiple was a significant contributory factor in the handling and shooting of the insurgent."
The review, completed in 2014, found there was significant evidence that 42 Commando's culture was perceived by many outside the unit to be "overly aggressive", and that concerns regarding the unit's approach were raised with the brigade commander by the commanding officer of a separate unit, 45 Commando.
The report continued: "However the brigade commander judged that 42 Commando's approach was appropriate given the circumstances.
"Therefore he did not formally reproach the commanding officer over his unit's culture."
The review also recognised the difficulty Royal Marines face dealing with enemies after engaging in conflict.
It states: "The difficulty experienced by Sgt Blackman in changing from a mindset which required him to kill an enemy to one which accepted having to administer first aid to an enemy in order to try to save his life, was a contributory factor in his treatment of the insurgent."
The Royal Navy said the findings of the review were being used to improve training and lessons would be learned from the incident.
The Royal Navy's Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Sir Philip Jones, who requested the review, said: "What happened on September 15 2011 was not consistent with the ethos, values and standards of the Royal Marines.
"As a key part of its support to, and command of, the Royal Marines, the Naval Service is determined to ensure that the sequence of events that led to the shooting is fully understood and that all possible lessons are learned."
He added: "The Royal Marines deservedly have a worldwide reputation as one of the elite fighting forces.
"Our Commandos go through one of the toughest training programmes in order to deploy to some of the harshest environments in the world. I am proud of its reputation and achievements."
On Friday a bail hearing will take place at the Royal Courts of Justice, which could see Blackman home in time for Christmas and their forthcoming wedding anniversary.
Earlier this week, Blackman's wife Claire said she was "trying hard not to get excited" about her husband's possible release.
She said: "We think we've got a really strong application for bail and we're hopeful, of course - it would be amazing, it would be fantastic, but one step at a time.
"Just to get him home is the important thing. He hasn't spent many wedding anniversaries at home so it would be great."
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