SAS sniper Danny Nightingale denies pistol in bedroom was his

Off By Sharon Black

Soldier says gun and ammunition found in his home must have belonged to housemate

The former SAS sniper Danny Nightingale has firmly denied that a gun and ammunition found in his bedroom belonged to him – despite originally telling police they were his and pleading guilty to the offences in a court.

Sergeant Nightingale told a new court martial that he suffered memory blanks as a result of an illness he suffered while taking part in an endurance race in the Amazon and he had “confabulated” – filled in the gaps with false versions of how he came by the weapon and ammunition.

Speaking in public under oath for the first time after almost two years of legal proceedings, Nightingale claimed the pistol and ammunition must have belonged to another member of the SAS with whom he shared the house where the items were found.

But it also emerged on Friday that in the late 90s Nightingale, 38, was fined £1,000 after ammunition and a smoke grenade were found in his room while he was serving in Northern Ireland.

Nightingale chose to stand to give his evidence before the board of officers hearing his case at Bulford military centre in Wiltshire.

He said his specialist skills in what was called only “the unit” included driving, medical work, den-making and surveillance as well as sniping. He described how he had invented a new type of dressing for chest wounds that was used by the military across the world and by ambulance services in the UK and US.

Watched by family and friends, Nightingale said he fell into a coma while taking part in the jungle event in 2009 and when he woke up was left with gaps in his memory.

In September 2011 he and his housemate, identified only as soldier N, were serving in Afghanistan when they were told their home in the UK had been raided and guns and ammunition found.

N has admitted one of the two Glock pistols found in the house and much of the ammunition were his and is serving a two-year sentence. Originally Nightingale said the other pistol belonged to him and was given to him by Iraqis he worked alongside in 2007. He said he had accumulated the ammunition – more than 300 rounds – because he worked as a range instructor and had kept some of it at home rather than return it to stores to save time.

He too was originally convicted and sentenced to detention but is back in court after his conviction was quashed.

In the witness box on Friday Nightingale said he was a “diligent” soldier who would not have stashed a pistol and ammunition.

Asked by his barrister, William Clegg QC: “Today do you believe that the gun was given to you by an Iraqi national?” Nightingale replied: “I do not.”

“Do you believe the gun was yours?” “I do not”. “Today do you believe that the ammunition was yours left over from the range?” Again Nightingale replied: “I do not.”

Nightingale said he got to know very few …read more