London (AFP) - A British commando was facing life in jail on Friday for executing a severely injured Afghan insurgent, shooting the captured man in the chest while quoting Shakespeare.
The Royal Marine, known only as Marine A, was found guilty of murdering the unknown man while deployed in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan in 2011.
Two others, Marines B and C, were acquitted of the charges against them following a two-week court martial in Bulford, southwest England.
The victim had been shot by a helicopter looking for insurgents who attacked a patrol base, and the marines found him lying seriously injured in a field.
They moved him under the cover of trees, where Marine A shot him from close range with a nine-millimetre pistol.
As the victim convulsed and died in front of him, the commando quoted from Shakespeare's Hamlet -- with his own foul-mouthed addition.
"There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil, you c**t. It's nothing you wouldn't do to us," he said.
He then turned to his comrades and said: "Obviously this doesn't go anywhere, fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention."
The execution was inadvertently filmed by Marine B's helmet camera.
Marine A admitted firing his gun in anger but insisted the insurgent was already dead.
"Stupid, lack of self-control, momentary lapse in my judgement," he told the court martial.
"I cannot give any other reason than to say that it was poor judgement and lack of self-control. I thought he was dead."
He blamed "foolish bravado" for quoting Shakespeare at the dying man and said it was something "I am not proud of".
Footage of the murder was found on a laptop by military police investigating unrelated matters in September last year.
After the verdict, one of Britain's highest ranking Royal Marines branded the execution "truly shocking and appalling".
Brigadier Bill Dunham, Deputy Commandant General, said: "It is a matter of profound regret in this isolated incident that one marine failed to apply his training and discharge his responsibilities.
"What we have heard over the last two weeks is not consistent with the ethos, values and standards of the Royal Marines.
"It was a truly shocking and appalling aberration. It should not have happened and it should never happen again."
Marine A was convicted by a seven-strong board of officers and non-commissioned officers and was remanded into custody ahead of sentencing on December 6.
Judge Advocate General Jeff Blackett said: "Marine A, this court has found you guilty of murder. The mandatory sentence prescribed by law is imprisonment for life.
"This court now has to determine the minimum term you will serve before you are eligible for release."
Marines B and C were acquitted of having been "party to the killing" and having "encouraged and assisted" their comrade in committing the murder.
The judge rejected an application to release the video footage to media, saying it could be used as propaganda against British forces.
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I find this situation ridiculous.
It's ok to go to war but it's illegal to murder a wounded soldier in cold blood whilst quoting Shakespeare??? War IS murder, that's the definition of war. Kill and conquer. Just do it in a certain way, according to the Geneva convention. Do the murder in a socially acceptable way. And whatever you do, don't call anyone a c**t. I despise the stupidity of human nature.