Bail denied for Taunton Royal Marine convicted of Taliban fighter murder
A Royal Marine who was jailed for the murder of an Afghan fighter has had his bail bid denied ahead of an appeal against his conviction.
Lawyers for Sergeant Alexander Blackman, 42, had hoped that judges would grant him bail pending an appeal at the Court Martial Appeal Court.
Speaking outside the Court of Appeal Blackman's wife Claire said they were disappointed at the judge's decision.
Blackman, previously known as Marine A, was found guilty of murder at a court martial at the Military Court Centre in Bulford, Wiltshire, in 2013 and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 10 years.
But the case will return to court after it was referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, following the presentation of new evidence.
The evidence relates to Blackman's mental health at the time of the death in Helmand and that an alternative verdict of unlawful act manslaughter was not available during the trial.
Appeal judges will then consider whether to quash his conviction, commute the sentence to manslaughter or order a retrial at a court martial.
The CCRC said that a number of new issues "raise a real possibility" that the Court Martial Appeal Court "will now quash Mr Blackman's murder conviction".
His wife Claire, who is fighting to clear his name, said she was"trying hard not to get excited" about the hearing, which could have seen him released in time Christmas.
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