Judge releases Afghan 'execution' audio
A recording of a conversation between three Royal Marines as they allegedly murdered a captured Afghan insurgent has been released by a judge.
The three Royal Marines are on trial at the Military Court Centre in Bulford, Wiltshire
The audio, recorded on one marine's helmet-mounted camera, reveals them discussing shooting him.
The prosecution at the court-martial says the shooting was in effect an execution.
The trio, Marines A, B and C, deny murdering the man while on duty in Helmand province in 2011.
Marine A is accused of shooting the man, while Marines B and C are said to have been "party to the killing".
Warning: the transcript of the exchange below contains extremely strong language.
The film shown to the court shows Marine A shoot the Afghan prisoner with a 9mm pistol at close range before saying: "There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil... It's nothing you wouldn't do to us."
Prosecutors allege he then turned to his comrades and said: "Obviously this doesn't go anywhere, fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention."
Judge Jeff Blackett, judge advocate general, had ruled that the video capturing the incident should not be released because it could be used as propaganda by terrorists. But he ruled that the audio could be published.
The transcript of the recording includes:
"Do you want him back in?"
"I want him back in here so I can see what I'm fucking doing."
[Movement]
"Err, anybody want to do first aid on the kid yet?"
"No"
"Nope."
"Could put one in his head if you want? Take your pick."
[Laughter]
"Not in his head because that will be fucking obvious."
Marine A told the court martial in Bulford, Wiltshire, that he believed the man was already dead when he fired the shot.
The court heard the incident occurred after a patrol base came under attack from small arms fire from two insurgents.
The Afghan prisoner had been seriously injured by gunfire from an Apache helicopter gunship sent to provide air support. The marines had come across the injured man in a field, the court heard.
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