Wife: Marine who murdered Afghan man 'is no killer'

The wife of the marine convicted of murder has told the Daily Telegraph she is sure he could go back in time and undo that "moment of madness."

Sgt Alexander Blackman's wife said: “He’s held his hands up. What he has not done in my eyes is commit murder.

"He genuinely thought, and I have absolutely no reason to disbelieve him, that that insurgent was already dead.

“He should not have discharged his weapon into him – it was the madness of the moment – and he sure as hell wished he hadn’t either but he is not a murderer.”

Claire Blackman also revealed: “I am sure Al would love to meet Dr Who, travel back in time and undo that moment. “He can’t undo it and he’s ashamed of it but I still don’t think it should have led to where we are now.”

The wife of a Royal Marine jailed for murdering a wounded Taliban fighter has said he is not a killer, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.

Sergeant Alexander Blackman, known as Marine A, was jailed for life, with a minimum of 10 years, by a court martial last week. He was caught killing the man on his colleague's helmet camera.

“He’s been convicted of murder but everything that defines Al points me and everyone who knows him in completely the opposite direction – he is not made that way", Claire Blackman told the paper.

She added: “If you ask someone what murder is in this country they might say someone stabbing a little old lady in the high street.

“Death on active service in a war zone in somewhere like Afghanistan is, sadly, an everyday occurrence. I can’t really imagine the horror or the pressure those lads were under.”