From a bloody corner of Helmand to a British court martial

Marines tried for murder of Afghan insurgent were survivors of deadly six-month tour known as Operation Herrick 14

Hot, tired and tense, the eight Royal Marines who made up Patrol 14 Hotel were heading back to base after a routine search of a compound in southern Afghanistan when the call came that an insurgent suspected of plaguing a British command post had been spotted in a cornfield.

The men crouched on the edge of the field as a British Apache attack helicopter – one of the few things Taliban fighters fear – flew in, and cheered as its cannons opened fire. They were surprised and frustrated when the message came back that the man may only have been wounded and the patrol was tasked with the hazardous job of walking out to where the heavily armed insurgent lay to check his condition.

The bravery and skill with which the marines tackled the situation is not in doubt. The insurgent’s AK-47 assault rifle lay within his reach and there was a grenade in his pocket but they disarmed him professionally, clinically, without fuss.

What happened next, however, tarnishes the reputation of the British armed services and the Royal Marines.

Bleeding and moaning, the prisoner was dragged roughly to the edge of the field. He was abused and mocked before being dumped on a pile of chaff.

Once the Apache had clattered away, the man who led the patrol – an experienced sergeant – leant close in and shot the helpless man in the chest.

As the insurgent’s body twitched horribly, the sergeant, who can be identified only as Marine A, told the man: “There you are, shuffle off this mortal coil, you cunt. It’s nothing you wouldn’t do to us.” Moments later, A told colleagues: “Obviously this doesn’t go anywhere fellas. I’ve just broken the Geneva convention.”

Fiercely loyal, the patrol kept quiet – but unfortunately for them the whole episode had been captured vividly on a head camera worn by another of the men, Marine B. One year later the video was found by chance by military investigators and led to three marines, A, B and C, being charged with murder. A pulled the trigger but B and C were accused of encouraging and assisting him. A was found guilty on Friday, but the other two were acquitted.

The disturbing events of 15 September 2011 came towards the end of an arduous, brutal six-month tour, Operation Herrick 14. The marines, members of 42 Commando, were in Helmand to help build schools, hospitals, roads and help prepare Afghan forces for when they take full responsibility for security. But they also had to cope with a determined and motivated enemy.

Marine A and Marine C, the youngest of the trio accused of murder, were stationed at a command post called Omar. Their tour began relatively quietly, partly because the “$10 Taliban” (young men who fight for a few dollars a day) were at that time occupied gathering in the poppy harvest.

Marine B was busier from the …read more