Just a thought...
I haven't read every single post so this may have been covered.
The pilot in question has been discharged from the Service... However, and I am merely playing devils advocate here, this may have been a win/win for the RAF and him. If I was in his shoes I doubt I would wish to remain in the RAF; the RAF want to ensure justice has been served. So, if he wishes to leave ASAP to ensure everything is behind him then he has a quick way out. Straight away the entire sorry saga disappears without the shame of going back to his unit and always being 'that guy'. He can get on with his life without being put on a horrendous ground tour doing something like (ironically) writing aircrew manuals or SFSO somewhere random like
Syerston.
From the RAF point of view I think after an appeal his sentence will probably be changed and he will be allowed to remain in the Service. Regardless of the final outcome, people in the wider military will only remember the initial verdict and its implications for their integrity; objective achieved from the RAF point of view. It sounds awfully like there is something that we are all missing.
Just my tuppence worth...