In profile: the Royal Marines charged with murdering Afghan insurgent
A sergeant respected by officers and Afghans, a ‘pretty boy’ sharpshooter – and an acting lance corporal with a head camera
Marine A
A hugely experienced sergeant in his late 30s with around 15 years’ experience in the Royal Marines, who had completed tours of Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was in charge of CP (command post) Omar, Helmand province. He was considered a safe pair of hands by his superiors, and a physically imposing marine who always led from the front. An expert in heavy weapons, including machine guns, he was credited with building good relations with the local population and was friendly with a mullah who lived close to CP Omar. His role in Afghanistan also included taking part in shuras – meetings with community leaders and elders. He shot the insurgent in the chest but said he believed the victim was already dead and he was taking out his anger on a corpse. He has said he felt ashamed at his lack of self-control. He was found guilty of murder.
Marine B
An acting lance corporal in his early 30s at the time of the incident. An articulate university graduate, he joined the marines in his late 20s after a series of less challenging jobs. “I wanted to test myself and achieve the green beret,” he said of his reasons for signing up. This was his first overseas deployment. For most of his tour he was based at a command post called Taalander, which was attacked every day by insurgents. Three days before the incident he was moved to Omar. He claimed he was “stunned” when A opened fire. He was wearing the head camera – against rules – that captured the footage at the centre of the case. He had seen a colleague’s leg hung as a trophy in a tree after a roadside bomb and had to clean up after another suffered fatal head injuries in a grenade attack. He was cleared of murder.
Marine C
In his mid-20s, the youngest of the three accused marines and teased as the “pretty boy” of the group. Like B, he was on his first overseas deployment. C was usually “point man” while on patrol, operating the detector used to hunt for roadside bombs – a hugely pressurised job. Also a qualified sharpshooter, he was based at CP Omar. Considered a joker whose quips were often close to the mark, he was keen for action when he went out to Afghanistan but jaded at the time of the incident and in “constant fear”.
He was caught on video suggesting he shoot the prisoner in the head or the heart but claims this was simply bravado. He kept a journal in which he also suggested he wanted to shoot the captive but said the journal was a way of letting off steam. He married after completing his tour of Afghanistan. He was cleared of murder.
