News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A ROYAL Navy medic refused to serve in Afghanistan on “moral grounds” after reading files on WikiLeaks, a court martial heard yesterday.

Michael Lyons, 24, who faces a wilful disobedience charge, said he was a conscientious objector to the war.

He was the first person to appear before the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors in 14 years.

Last December, the medical assistant, from Plymouth, told the ACCO: “I couldn’t serve on a moral ground.

“If more people in my position stood up, there would be less innocent lives lost.”

The court martial in Portsmouth was adjourned until April 14 for confirmation that the ACCO has rejected his claims. Lyons, who joined the Navy in 2005, could face up to 10 years in prison.