Marine who was jailed for life for killing wounded Taliban insurgent in cold blood fights murder conviction

Sgt Alexander Blackman found guilty of killing fighter in Helmand

He was taped saying to insurgent 'shuffle of this mortal coil, you c***'

Blackman was jailed for life with a minimum term of 10 years last year

He has applied for permission to appeal against conviction and sentence

Jailed: Sergeant Alexander Blackman was jailed for at least ten years for murdering a badly wounded Taliban insurgent. He has now launched an appeal

The Royal Marine jailed for life for murdering a Taliban insurgent has launched an appeal against his conviction and sentence, it has been confirmed.

Sergeant Alexander Blackman, 39, is serving at least ten years after being found guilty of killing the severely wounded captive in Afghanistan.

On November 8 a court martial board in Bulford, Wiltshire found 39-year-old Blackman - known as 'Marine A' during the trial - guilty of murdering the insurgent who had been seriously injured in an attack by an Apache helicopter in Helmand more than two years ago.

Two other Marines were acquitted. Charges against a further two were previously discontinued.

Blackman, who denied murder, had 15 years’ experience in the Royal Marines, having joined in 1998, and was in charge of Command Post Omar in Helmand during Operation Herrick 14 in 2011.

Blackman completed tours of Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland during his military career, and before a video of the murder came to light, he was being considered for promotion to Colour Sergeant.

He shot the unknown insurgent in the chest but said he believed the man was already dead and he was taking out his anger on a corpse.

He has said he feels ashamed at his actions, describing them as 'a stupid lack of self-control and lapse in judgment'.

Shooting: Footage captured by a camera mounted on the helmet of a Royal Marine showing Sgt Blackman during a patrol in Afghanistan in which an insurgent was killed

Footage: Before a video of the murder came to light, Blackman was being considered for promotion to Colour Sergeant

As the fighter lies on the floor convulsing and struggling for breath, Sgt Blackman tells him: 'There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil you c***. It’s nothing you wouldn’t do to us.'

He then turned to his comrades and said: 'Obviously this doesn’t go anywhere fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention.'

After his sentencing on December 6, Blackman said he was 'devastated' at being handed a life sentence.

At war: He has said he feels ashamed at his actions, describing them as 'a stupid lack of self-control and lapse in judgment'

The married commando, known to friends and family as Al, said he was 'very sorry' for his actions, which were filmed on the headcam of a comrade during the fateful patrol in 'the most dangerous square mile in Afghanistan'.

The killing happened five months into an arduous six-month tour of Helmand province in 2011 with Plymouth-based 42 Commando, known as Operation Herrick 14.