Marine could be freed after murder conviction downgraded

A Royal Marine, who was jailed for killing an injured Taliban fighter in Afghanistan, could be freed after his murder conviction was quashed.

Sergeant Alexander Blackman, from Taunton, won an appeal to overturn his sentence after new evidence emerged around his mental health.

In March, five judges at the Court Martial Appeal Court downgraded his murder conviction to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

His wife, Claire Blackman, said she was "delighted" after the new verdict was announced. She added, "it much better reflects the circumstances that my husband found himself in during that terrible tour of Afghanistan".

Blackman, who's also known as 'Marine A', has already served three years in prison, meaning he could walk free when he is re-sentenced on Friday.

In 2011, whilst serving in Afghanistan, Alexander Blackman killed a wounded Taliban fighter.

Two years later, he was convicted of murder and given a life sentence which he must serve at least ten years of it. That minimum sentence was shortened to eight years after a previous appeal.

In his original trial in a military court, Blackman pleaded not guilty to murder, claiming he believed the Afghan man was dead before he shot him. The panel disagreed and convicted him of murder, triggering a massive campaign to free the former Marine.

An appeal was granted earlier this year because of new mental health evidence, doubts about the representation at the original trial and the fact a conviction of unlawful act Manslaughter wasn't previously considered.

During the appeal his new legal team argued that Blackman was suffering from a mental health condition called 'Adjustment Disorder' which three psychiatrists said impaired soldiers ability to make 'rational decisions'.

They argued that as he killed the fighter he did so because of his mental health condition.

Throughout the appeal Blackman's legal team kept pointing out how dangerous the country was in 2011 and that 'every step could be a soldier's last'.

They argued that this would have contributed to the soldier's mental illness.

On Friday, he is due to be re-sentenced and could spend this weekend as a free man.