BOAC - you are correct that this is a convoluted case with many strands - the CM did a very good job in taking all of those into account and delivering a very fair verdict.
What is totally reprehensible is that Nightingale has used the reputation of the Regiment to his own ends in order to manipulate the media and even the PM in order to have his already lenient sentence reduced. He is trading for his own selfish ends a regimental reputation which has been built by many top blokes who have sacrificed far more than he has. If he has any sense at all, he will now go away quietly. But I suspect that he won't and that this is not the end of this story.
I sympathised with the rather excellent Secretary for Defence having to defend on TV the appalling populist ploy of "call me Dave" and at the same time assuage some senior brass who must be absolutely livid at this trial by media.