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divdiv class=story-body readability=52 span class=story-date#13; span class=date8 November 2013/span#13;span class=time-textLast updated at /spanspan class=time22:25 ET/span#13; #13;/span#13;#13; #13;#13;#13; #13; #13; !-- Embedding the video player --#13;!-- This is the embedded player component --#13;#13;#13; #13; #13;#13;#13;#13;!-- wwrights check --#13;!-- Empty country is used on test environment --#13;#13;#13;#13;div class=videoInStoryB readability=2#13; div id=emp-24852396-115190 class=emp#13; #13; #13; noscript#13; div class=warning readability=1#13; img class=holding src=http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/70999000/jpg/_70999958_70992440.jpg alt=Marine footage/pstrongPlease turn on JavaScript./strong Media requires JavaScript to play./p#13; /div#13; /noscript#13; #13; !-- embedding script --#13; #13; /div#13; !-- companion banner -- #13; #13; #13; #13; !-- END - companion banner --!-- caption --p class=captionExtract from helmet camera recording of incident in Helmand, Afghanistan/p#13; !-- END - caption --#13; #13; #13;#13;/div#13;!-- end of the embedded player component --#13;#13;!-- Player embedded -- #13; p class=introduction id=story_continues_1A Royal Marine convicted of murdering an injured Afghan insurgent should be shown leniency when he is sentenced, a retired commander has said./p#13; pMaj Gen Julian Thompson, who led 3 Commando Brigade during the Falklands War, told The Times a five-year term would be more appropriate than life./p#13; pThe sergeant, known as Marine A, faces a mandatory life sentence but a minimum term will be set./p#13; pA court martial convicted him over the shooting of the unknown man in 2011./p#13; pTwo other marines were cleared after the trial at the Military Court Centre in Bulford, Wiltshire./p#13; pRemanding Marine A in custody ahead of sentencing on 6 December, the judge said the court would determine the minimum sentence he would serve before being eligible for release./p#13; pMaj Gen Thompson, a href=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/defence/article3917533.ece told The Times/a the shooting of the Afghan insurgent in Helmand Province was wrong and everyone in the Royal Marines is clear about that. /p#13; pBut he added: I am sad for the man who did it, in that he probably had a moment of stupidity./p#13; pHe told the newspaper that when an enemy surrenders on the battlefield it is a very, very dangerous time./p#13; span class=cross-head'Appalling aberration'/span#13; pIt is the first time a member of the British forces has faced a murder charge in relation to the conflict in Afghanistan, which began in 2001./p#13; pFollowing the verdict on Friday, Brigadier Bill Dunham, of the Royal Marines, said the murder was a truly shocking and appalling aberration./p#13; #13; pThe incident came to light after one of the marines who was later cleared - known as Marine B - inadvertently filmed the murder on his helmet-mounted camera./p#13; pThe footage taken on 15 September 2011 was shown to the court during the two-week trial./p#13; pIt showed Marine A shooting the Afghan prisoner with a 9mm pistol, and saying: There, shuffle off this mortal coil... It's nothing you wouldn't do to us./p#13; pHe adds: Obviously this doesn't go anywhere fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention, to which Marine B replies: Yeah, roger mate./p#13; pOn Thursday, a recording of a conversation between the marines in the moments surrounding the shooting was released by the judge. /p#13; span class=cross-headMurder followed attack/span#13; pDuring the court martial, prosecutor David Perry told the court the murder was not a killing in the heat and exercise of any armed conflict... it amounted to an execution./p#13; pMarine A told the court martial he had fired because of poor judgement and lack of self-control, but said he had thought the insurgent was already dead./p#13; div class=story-feature wide readability=16#13; a class=hidden href=#story_continues_2Continue reading the main story/a h2The Geneva Convention/h2#13; !-- pullout-items--#13; #13; !-- pullout-body--#13; pThis international agreement concerning the treatment of captured and wounded prisoners of war was first signed in Geneva in 1864. It was later revised in 1949 and consists of four treaties. /p#13; pArticle three of the third convention rules that members of the armed forces who have laid down their arms or who cannot fight due to sickness, wounds or detention should be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria./p#13; pTo this end, it is prohibited to pass sentences on prisoners or carry out executions without a constituted court judgement. Prisoners may not be harmed, degraded, humiliated or taken hostage./p#13; pUnder the convention, the wounded and sick should be collected and cared for by an impartial humanitarian body, such as the Red Cross./p#13; #13; !-- pullout-links--#13; /div p id=story_continues_2Marines B and C were accused by the prosecution of being party to the killing and of having encouraged and assisted Marine A to commit the murder./p#13; pAt the time of the killing, he was an experienced sergeant, while Marine C was the most junior of the three. /p#13; pThe murder took place after a patrol base in Helmand Province came under attack from small arms fire from two insurgents./p#13; pThe Afghan prisoner was seriously injured by gunfire from an Apache helicopter sent to provide air support, and the marines found him in a field./p#13; pIn one conversation between Marine A and C about shooting the man, one serviceman is overheard asking Anyone want to give first aid to this idiot? before another replies loudly Nope./p#13; pIn another, Marine C was heard asking A if he should shoot the man in the head, but Marine A said that would be too obvious./p#13; pRoyal Military Police arrested the three marines in October 2012 after video footage was found on a serviceman's laptop by civilian police in the UK./p#13; /div/divbrbrcentera href=http://www.wizardrss.comPowered By WizardRSS.com/a | a href=http://www.wizardrss.comFull Text RSS Feed/a | a href=http://www.amazon.com/RFID-Blocking-Cards-Identity-Protector/dp/B00CJHZLEWRFID/a | a href=http://www.wpzonbuilder.comAmazon Affiliate/a/center