Blackman, Alexander

Alexander Blackman, a Royal marine, was convicted of murder after shooting dead a wounded enemy combatant in Afghanistan on 15th September 2011.

Mr Blackman pleaded not guilty when tried for murder at a Court Martial at the Military Court Centre, Bulford, Wiltshire, between 23rd October and 8th November 2013.

He was one of three Royal Marines tried by Court Martial for the murder of the unidentified man killed in Afghanistan. At the time of trial Mr Blackman’s identity was protected and he was referred to only as Marine A. His co-defendants were referred to as Marine B and Marine C.

The board convicted Mr Blackman of murder contrary to section 42 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 and, on 6th December 2013, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum custodial term of ten years. He was also reduced to the ranks and dismissed with disgrace from Her Majesty’s Service.

Marine B and Marine C were acquitted of murder.

Mr Blackman appealed against his conviction and sentence. In May 2014 the appeal against conviction was dismissed but the Court reduced the minimum custodial term of his life sentence to eight years.

On 16 December 2015 Mr Blackman applied to the CCRC for a review of his conviction and sentence.

Following an in-depth investigation, the CCRC decided to refer the case to the Courts Martial Appeal Court.

The referral was made on the basis of a number of issues including:

· New evidence, including new expert evidence acquired by the CCRC, relating to Mr Blackman’s mental state at the time of the offence.

· The fact that an alternative verdict of unlawful act manslaughter was not available to the board when it considered the case.

The CCRC concluded that these issues raised a real possibility that the Courts Martial Appeal Court would quash Mr Blackman’s murder conviction.

The CCRC referred the conviction and sentence in December 2016.

The Courts Martial Appeal Court quashed the conviction in March 2017 and substituted it for one of manslaughter.