One of Britain’s highest-ranking Royal Marines has branded the cold-blooded execution of an injured Afghan insurgent as “truly shocking and appalling”.
Brigadier Bill Dunham, deputy commandant general Royal Marines, spoke out after a commando was convicted of murdering the seriously wounded prisoner in Helmand province two years ago.
The serviceman, known only as Marine A, shot him at close range in the centre of his chest.
As the man convulsed on the ground, Marine A told him: “There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil, you ****. It’s nothing you wouldn’t do to us.”
He then turned to comrades and said: “Obviously this doesn’t go anywhere, fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention.”
A court martial board found Marine A guilty of murder following a two-week trial at the military court centre. Two others, known only as Marines B and C, were acquitted of the same charge, contrary to Section 42 of the Armed Forces Act 2006, by the seven-strong board.
Brig Dunham said: “It is a matter of profound regret in this isolated incident that one marine failed to apply his training and discharge his responsibilities.
“What we have heard over the last two weeks is not consistent with the ethos, values and standards of the Royal Marines.
“It was a truly shocking and appalling aberration.”
The court heard the marines were on patrol in 2011 when they discovered the insurgent lying seriously injured in a field following an attack by an Apache helicopter.
Superiors were informed the man had died from wounds sustained in the gunship attack, in which 139 30mm anti-tank rounds were fired at him.
But a year later, footage of the murder – taken from a camera mounted on the helmet of Marine B – was discovered on a laptop by military police investigating unrelated matters.
The harrowing video footage was played numerous times to the court martial, with audio recordings also released to the public.
The footage showed the Afghan national on the ground, wearing a white dish-dash covered in blood, with his eyes wide open and rolled back. Members of the patrol could be heard swearing at him.
Marine A reported to superiors that the insurgent was still alive and – to avoid the watching helicopter and observation balloon – he was manhandled to the side of the field, under the cover of trees.
The commando is then overheard asking “Anyone want to give first aid to this idiot?” before Marine B replies loudly “No”.
Footage shows the injured man suffering kicks from the servicemen before being flipped over from his back to front. He is then shot.
David Perry QC, prosecuting, told the court martial: “The prosecution case is that it amounted to an execution, a field execution.
“An execution of a man who was entitled to be treated with dignity and respect and entitled to be treated as any British serviceman or servicewoman would be entitled to in a similar situation.”
The insurgent’s body was left where he died and was later taken by locals, who erected a memorial in its place. No post-mortem examination was conducted.
After the video clip was found, marines A, B and C were arrested on suspicion of alleged war crimes in contravention of Section 1 of the Geneva Convention. All three insisted the insurgent died from wounds sustained in the Apache attack.
Marine A admitted he fired his gun out of anger but insisted the insurgent was already dead.
He explained to the court martial why he fired: “Stupid, lack of self-control, momentary lapse in my judgment.
“I thought about it over the last year as we get towards these proceedings but I cannot give any other reason than to say that it was poor judgment and lack of self-control. I thought he was dead.”
He blamed “foolish bravado” for quoting Shakespeare at the dying man and said it was something “I am not proud of”.
Marine B said he was administering first aid to the insurgent when “without warning” the Afghan was shot by Marine A.
During the trial, he admitted members of the patrol lied during interviews to protect their comrade.