A Royal Marine has been convicted of murder following the execution in cold blood of an injured insurgent in Afghanistan.
A court martial board found the commando, known only as Marine A, guilty of murdering the man in Helmand Province more than two years ago. Two others, known as Marines B and C, were acquitted.
The marines denied murdering the unknown captured Afghan national on or about September 15 2011, contrary to Section 42 of the Armed Forces Act 2006.
But a seven-strong board, consisting of officers and non-commissioned officers, convicted one of the defendants following a two-week trial at the court martial centre in Bulford, Wiltshire.
Marine A shot the Afghan national in the chest at close range with a 9mm pistol before quoting a phrase from Shakespeare as the man convulsed and died in front of him.
“There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil, you c***. It’s nothing you wouldn’t do to us,” Marine A told the insurgent.
He then turned to comrades and said: “Obviously this doesn’t go anywhere, fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention.”
The execution was filmed by a camera mounted on the helmet of Marine B.
Marines B and C were alleged to have been “party to the killing” and “encouraged and assisted” Marine A in committing the murder but they were cleared.