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SAS sniper jailed for 18 months for 'forgetting' about pistol(UK)
metro.co.uk ^ | 11 November, 2012 | NA

Posted on 11/12/2012 11:12:46 AM PST by marktwain

Sergeant Danny Nightingale, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was sentenced to 18 months in a military jail last week.

A working 9mm Glock handgun, given to him after he trained a counterterrorism force in 2007, was found in his home by police last year.

He said he forgot he had the weapon and failed to declare it. His wife Sally described the father of two as a 'hero who has been betrayed', while the sentence came in for more criticism after it was handed down in the days leading up to Remembrance Sunday.

Sgt Nightingale's lawyer said his client had planned to deny illegal possession of a firearm but changed his plea to guilty when warned he could face a five-year sentence if convicted.

At his court martial even prosecution lawyers described Sgt Nightingale as a serviceman of exemplary character.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: banglist; guncontrol; oefveterans; oifveterans; sniper; uk
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The UK system is broken when they cannot find a way to keep this warrior in service.
1 posted on 11/12/2012 11:12:56 AM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain

That’s it, keep on demonizing your willing protectors and you will find that they aren’t willing anymore.


2 posted on 11/12/2012 11:19:36 AM PST by The Working Man
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To: marktwain
Sgt Nightingale's lawyer said his client had planned to deny illegal possession of a firearm but changed his plea to guilty when warned he could face a five-year sentence if convicted.

That's the real problem here. The fact that a jury would convict a war hero speaks to a larger social problem.

Coming soon to America!

3 posted on 11/12/2012 11:20:15 AM PST by rarestia (It's time to water the Tree of Liberty.)
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To: marktwain
It is not for an American to offer unsolicited advice to the British Crown. But were anyone to ask this Ohioan for his thoughts on what should have been done: The Royal Pardon & Letter of commendation to the Sgt. would have been on its way by special courier, before the media was even able to report the above.

Britain is no longer in touch with her roots, history or ideals. But then neither is ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt or China. The death of a civilization is terribly poignant.

William Flax

4 posted on 11/12/2012 11:22:40 AM PST by Ohioan
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To: marktwain

For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!”
But it’s “Saviour of ‘is country” when the guns begin to shoot.


5 posted on 11/12/2012 11:26:12 AM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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To: Tijeras_Slim

Totally correct!!!


6 posted on 11/12/2012 11:32:41 AM PST by OldEagle
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To: marktwain
Sickening.

This is how the British government (and sadly, our government to a similar extent) thanks those who have given so much for us.

7 posted on 11/12/2012 11:33:27 AM PST by Wyrd bið ful aræd (Gone Galt, 11/07/12)
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To: marktwain

Burn, Britannia, burn, on the funeral pyre of your empire. Formerly-Great Britain is now nothing but an Islamic proxy state filled with dhimmis.


8 posted on 11/12/2012 11:36:29 AM PST by backwoods-engineer ("Remember: Evil exists because good men don't kill the gov officials committing it." -- K. Hoffmann)
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To: marktwain

“A working 9mm Glock handgun, given to him after he trained a counterterrorism force in 2007, was found in his home by police last year.”

Why were they in his house in the first place? Were they specifically looking for the Glock or were they there for some other reason?

Enquiring minds want to know.


9 posted on 11/12/2012 11:37:45 AM PST by Stormdog (A rifle transforms one from subject to Citizen)
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To: marktwain
There was a time when Englishmen were required to have arms and bring them out at the King's orders for inspection.

The nobles had arms and armor.

The average freeman,
The weapon could be a rake, scythe, hoe, spear, sword or longbow and arrows.

How far the English have fallen into servitude.

10 posted on 11/12/2012 11:42:56 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar (The parasites now outnumber the producers.)
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To: marktwain

do you find this odd, crazy, ridiculous?

Lift your head and look around you.

Think about the changes coming in America, with Obama’s power unchecked.

Oh,....”The House”, you say, “He’s not “unchecked”!

Watch and see......


11 posted on 11/12/2012 11:53:27 AM PST by G Larry (Which of Obama's policies do you think I'd support if he were white?)
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To: marktwain

He’s a sniper. He likely has a price on his head, lives in a country that has the significant possibility of Jihadi agents wandering around in it, and has a family to protect.

I’d have ‘forgotten’ some iron, too.


12 posted on 11/12/2012 11:56:37 AM PST by Riley (The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column.)
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To: marktwain

Can the Queen or the Prime Minister issue a pardon?
If so, why hasn’t it been issued already?
This SAS serviceman is an exemplary model of what should be good for Britain.


13 posted on 11/12/2012 12:23:10 PM PST by BuffaloJack (Children, pets, and slaves get taken care of. Free Men take care of themselves.)
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To: Riley

Hmmmm. Has anyone thought about “V for Vendetta”?


14 posted on 11/12/2012 12:23:53 PM PST by MasterGunner01
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To: marktwain

Liberals deliberately and willfully want guns to stay in the hands of criminals, while they take them away from honest, law-abiding people.
Just so the criminals can walk in and take whatever they want. A little “redistribution of wealth.”


15 posted on 11/12/2012 12:26:47 PM PST by I want the USA back
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To: marktwain

His team should liberate him if they don’t wise up. Never grab a tiger by the tail unless you have a plan to deal with its teeth.


16 posted on 11/12/2012 12:31:43 PM PST by BlueStateMadness (Two commonly violated premises: you can save people from themselves, and the free lunch myth)
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To: marktwain
Obama’s vision for the United States. Coming to a locale near you.
17 posted on 11/12/2012 12:41:36 PM PST by vetvetdoug
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To: BuffaloJack
Can the Queen or the Prime Minister issue a pardon?
If so, why hasn’t it been issued already?

Not easily.

There are two issues that make it complicated. The first is that this was a Court Martial, not a civilian trial. The Queen (on the advice of the Justice Secretary) can issue a Royal Pardon in the case of a civil trial, but while the Queen is Commander-in-Chief of all British Forces, the Army is under the command of Parliament (that's why it's not the Royal Army, unlike the Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force). For the Queen to issue a Royal Pardon over a Court Martial conviction there would have to be far more exceptional circumstances than normal, and the recommendation would have to come through the Defence Ministry, and the Defence Ministry is not set up with simple processes for that to happen. Regardless of this, while the Queen does have the power, it would be very unusual for it to be exercised until a case has gone through the Court of Appeal, and (possibly - I'm not sure if it has jurisdiction over courts martial) the Criminal Cases Review Commission. The 'Royal Prerogative of Mercy' is meant to be the final avenue of appeal is all else has failed.

The fact he plead guilty also complicates matters considerably. If he had gone to trial, there's a very good chance he would have escaped conviction, but he chose not to run the risk. That is his right, but it also limits his grounds for appeal.

18 posted on 11/12/2012 12:57:08 PM PST by naturalman1975 ("America was under attack. Australia was immediately there to help." - John Winston Howard)
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To: marktwain

Put a fork in Eurabia: it’s done.

Visit now, before the great cathedrals are all mosques.


19 posted on 11/12/2012 12:59:05 PM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Riley; maica
He’s a sniper. He likely has a price on his head, lives in a country that has the significant possibility of Jihadi agents wandering around in it, and has a family to protect. I’d have ‘forgotten’ some iron, too.

Excellent point. What a shame that an English "wink and a nod" can't take care of this. PC uber alles has won the day.

Tommy Robinson is in prison, while jihadists gang rape English girls and the police look away. (All true.)

20 posted on 11/12/2012 1:02:32 PM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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