Sgt Nightingale
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.
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.
I also think this sets a dangerous precedent. I now expect the next scroat who gets nicked with a Glock and AP in his possesion to be given a suspended sentence when his top-notch lawyer quotes Nightingale vs The Crown, 2012.
At least he did some 'time' and he probably won't do it again...
LJ
At least he did some 'time' and he probably won't do it again...
LJ
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Trim etc have you seen this;
It seems there was a habit of messy 'admin' , so do they charge them all?
Source
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 20 Nov 2012 (pt 0004)
20 Nov 2012 : Column 554
During the search, the police uncovered the weapon belonging to Danny Nightingale, which was still in its container in a cupboard and a quantity of ammunition under his bed. I understand that the unit held an immediate weapons amnesty and that an embarrassingly large number of weapons turned up in the skip that was conveniently provided overnight.
Most parts of the Army have been engaged in dangerous and often bloody operations. Where special forces are different from the rest of the Army is that they do not leave that regime on coming back to the UK. Typically, as was the case with Sergeant Nightingale, they remain on very short notice to move for long periods, which entails keeping live ammunition in their kit. They are, of course, subject to the same law and the same internal rules as other parts of the Army, but the pressure and temptation on tired, overstretched men to take weapons and kit containing live rounds back to their accommodation is of a different order of magnitude. It is clear from the article by Sergeant Nightingale’s gallant former commanding officer, Colonel Richard Williams MBE MC, that the amnesty revealed that a number of people in the regiment had got into bad habits under the extreme pressure of operational tours abroad and the high-readiness cycle at home.
During the search, the police uncovered the weapon belonging to Danny Nightingale, which was still in its container in a cupboard and a quantity of ammunition under his bed. I understand that the unit held an immediate weapons amnesty and that an embarrassingly large number of weapons turned up in the skip that was conveniently provided overnight.
Most parts of the Army have been engaged in dangerous and often bloody operations. Where special forces are different from the rest of the Army is that they do not leave that regime on coming back to the UK. Typically, as was the case with Sergeant Nightingale, they remain on very short notice to move for long periods, which entails keeping live ammunition in their kit. They are, of course, subject to the same law and the same internal rules as other parts of the Army, but the pressure and temptation on tired, overstretched men to take weapons and kit containing live rounds back to their accommodation is of a different order of magnitude. It is clear from the article by Sergeant Nightingale’s gallant former commanding officer, Colonel Richard Williams MBE MC, that the amnesty revealed that a number of people in the regiment had got into bad habits under the extreme pressure of operational tours abroad and the high-readiness cycle at home.
Source
House of Commons Hansard Debates for 20 Nov 2012 (pt 0004)
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Good result.
I remember in NI getting lumbered with a damn block inspection just after I arrived, opening the top locker that was so high no one used it I found some live SLR rounds... Eek
thinking what the hell do I do with these, if I chuck em out the window and they're found the sh*t will hit the proverbial, bin was out of the question, so sheepishly took them to the armoury, banged on the hatch, tells him I found these, cool we are always short of them, thanks and relieves me off them.... Glad to see the back of them 
I remember in NI getting lumbered with a damn block inspection just after I arrived, opening the top locker that was so high no one used it I found some live SLR rounds... Eek
thinking what the hell do I do with these, if I chuck em out the window and they're found the sh*t will hit the proverbial, bin was out of the question, so sheepishly took them to the armoury, banged on the hatch, tells him I found these, cool we are always short of them, thanks and relieves me off them.... Glad to see the back of them
Last edited by NutLoose; 29th Nov 2012 at 19:07.
revealed that a number of people in the regiment had got into bad habits
This is the Appeals system at work, I think.
Given the facts, the CM gave as lenient a sentence as they could. The message to the Armed Forces from a suspended sentence would have been wrong.
They left the door open in the President's summing up, "Parliament has decreed".
And Parliament,in its wisdom, has now, via LCJ, re-decreed.
Message to average squaddie is still imprisonment from a CM for keeping arms/ammo. Message from general public is "If you are in an elite unit and on constant call and brain-damaged and this is the first time you've f#cked up..and..and...and, then you get forgiven...once.
We have a jury system in civil courts. I recall the case of a father up for grevious wounding, etc, who had taken a shotgun to the one-eyed truck driver who, driving illegally, had run down and killed his daughter. 55 zillion witnesses; verdict: Not Guilty.
There are always exceptions.
.
Given the facts, the CM gave as lenient a sentence as they could. The message to the Armed Forces from a suspended sentence would have been wrong.
They left the door open in the President's summing up, "Parliament has decreed".
And Parliament,in its wisdom, has now, via LCJ, re-decreed.
Message to average squaddie is still imprisonment from a CM for keeping arms/ammo. Message from general public is "If you are in an elite unit and on constant call and brain-damaged and this is the first time you've f#cked up..and..and...and, then you get forgiven...once.
We have a jury system in civil courts. I recall the case of a father up for grevious wounding, etc, who had taken a shotgun to the one-eyed truck driver who, driving illegally, had run down and killed his daughter. 55 zillion witnesses; verdict: Not Guilty.
There are always exceptions.
.
Last edited by Fox3WheresMyBanana; 29th Nov 2012 at 19:50.
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Some of the anti gun rubbish on this thread is unreal. This silly island has some of the most restrictive, primitive and unfair anti gun legislation anywhere. We are simply talking about a handgun!!!! I bet our American cousins think this place is insane.
Thanks RR, that's possibly the funniest thing I've ever read on pprune.
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Go Danny Go!!!! Drinks are on me in CW2 Sally
https://news.google.co.uk/news/story...ed=0CDIQqgIwAA
https://news.google.co.uk/news/story...ed=0CDIQqgIwAA
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
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I tried my hardest not to post, but anyway:
The police searched the accommodation of two SF blokes (one targeted the other simply at this point a co-habitee) and both were found to have some form of illegal weaponry. Quite a lot actually.
There is now anecdotal evidence to suggest that a number of their colleagues had similar items that were given in under an amnesty.
I think it is hard in this situation to explain all this away as a function of the stress, strain and scheduling of their work. A small part of me suspects that a significant number of this unit were simply 'taking the piss'.
The police searched the accommodation of two SF blokes (one targeted the other simply at this point a co-habitee) and both were found to have some form of illegal weaponry. Quite a lot actually.
There is now anecdotal evidence to suggest that a number of their colleagues had similar items that were given in under an amnesty.
I think it is hard in this situation to explain all this away as a function of the stress, strain and scheduling of their work. A small part of me suspects that a significant number of this unit were simply 'taking the piss'.
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The next gang member caught with an illegal firearm could make the same
appeal, I guess. That would be good!
appeal, I guess. That would be good!
Last edited by cuefaye; 29th Nov 2012 at 21:58. Reason: sp
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A chum of mine bought a house three years ago.
During the couurse of 'doing it up' he found a Luger pistol secreted under the water tank in the loft. Preseved very nicely.
He rang me about it (as I'm ex Army).
What do you think he did, and what do you think happened?
During the couurse of 'doing it up' he found a Luger pistol secreted under the water tank in the loft. Preseved very nicely.
He rang me about it (as I'm ex Army).
What do you think he did, and what do you think happened?
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If he plead guilty during the trial how can he suddenly become innocent?
<devils advocate on>
Guilty as sin, with perhaps a very good medical alibi, but if his memory functions have been that severely affected then why is he still "on the job"?
Something doesn't actually ADD up here.
<devils advocate off>
Still, I'm glad he's out, one half of me deplores some of the comments on here, none of us are ABOVE the law.
The other half is smiling quietly to itself.
<devils advocate on>
Guilty as sin, with perhaps a very good medical alibi, but if his memory functions have been that severely affected then why is he still "on the job"?
Something doesn't actually ADD up here.
<devils advocate off>
Still, I'm glad he's out, one half of me deplores some of the comments on here, none of us are ABOVE the law.
The other half is smiling quietly to itself.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
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If he plead guilty during the trial how can he suddenly become
innocent?