Sgt Nightingale

[cuefaye]

I doubt that any of the >100,000 who signed the various petitions has the
slightest idea

Oddly, the people I hear defending him the loudest are not mil or ex mil.

Somewhat presumptive chaps, if not a tad arrogant?

[Canadian Break]

Where now?

Having read this thread with interest and also having relatives who are neighbours of Sgt Nightingale and heard continually about what a nice family they are I would like to make a couple (OK - 4) of points.
1. I think that the CM tried its very best to let him "get out from under" on what is an absolute offence. No reduction in rank, not thrown out of the army etc.
2. The press and, through them, the great British publice got hold of half a story and outcry ensued. I think that the comments in this thread about the mindset of the 100,00 that signed the petition are bang on. They were led on by the press who were on yet another crusade to show how stupid everyone else but them is. As a result, Sgt Nightingale will now never return to Hereford and will probably leave the army - I'm sure that Max Clifford et al will already have been in touch and promised him his first million or so and- do you know what - I don't begrudge him a penny of it.
3. What does irk me however, is the fact that this case, badly handled once in the public domain, has set a legal precedent that any toerag can try to avail himself of in future when he is caught with an illegal firearm.
4. Finally, there is an ex Flt Lt whom I once had the misfortune to know who, for a similar, but less serious offence (no ammo as I recall) was dismissed HM Service, put in the civvy pokey for a couple of years and lost his pension.
Sorry fellas, it just doesn't stack up. Yet another case of the press running the country. Maybe Leveson is onto something after all.

[500N]

"badly handled once in the public domain,"

By the Gov't and MoD, maybe they need to get on the front foot
in these types of situations and take back control before it does
what this case did, spiral out of control.

[Canadian Break]

D'accord mon vieux, d'accord. Perhaps the press should also stop trying to run the country as well. Hey ho, time for a G and T.

[cuefaye]

Hey ho, time for a G and T.

Not another!

[Canadian Break]

'Fraid so chap. Just to keep me going until I pull the cork on the Rioja you understand!

[airpolice]

I think that's all he's got to work with.

If he claims he got bad legal advice, they could set the verdict aside and CM him again.

What chance would he have of a better result than he has today? Slim I think.

So he then needs to claim he can't ever get a fair trial and hope the crown desert the prosecution.

Don't hold your breath waiting for any more legal moves.

[parabellum]

I find it hard to believe he has actually appealed the verdict, is that official, has it actually been lodged?

Given that he pleaded guilty and was sentenced, could he appeal against the verdict? Was a pre-arranged outcome promised but not honoured? That sounds far too Perry Mason for me. Maybe there is quite a lot we really don't know about this case and probably won't.

[Wensleydale]

I'm sure that Max Clifford et al will already have been in touch and promised
him his first million or so

Not if he haslost his memory of the incident ........ I wonder what the medical affect of waving a million would be though?

[A and C]

Five or so pages on and I still don't know what to make of this, on one hand the regulations on the possession of firearms in the military should be second nature and on the other hand there seems to be medical evidence of memory loss.

What the great British public have seen and are very upset about is the inequity between a long serving member of the armed forces who is banged up ( dispite the first civil police decision that there was no criminal intent) and the fact that the UK legal system can't send a radical terrorist suspect for trial in Jordan.

Any way you look at this it has been very badly handled by the army & MoD both in outcome of the CM and the attempts to use a D notice to cover the tracks of those responsible. On the other side the supporters of Sgt Nightingale have played their hand brilliantly in the media.

[P6 Driver]

Somewhat presumptive chaps, if not a tad arrogant?

That would not be a world first or even a bit out of character for posts on this site, eh?

[airpolice]

Not so presumptive

Cuefaye,

Airborne Artist is allowed to express his doubts, the fact that he doubts that many of the signatories are interested in all of the facts is undeniable. That's his opinion, right or wrong.

As for the people that I hear telling me they support him, or otherwise, I know if they are ex mil or not. I'm discounting the talking heads on TV, just referring to the people I actually come into contact with.

[airborne_artist]

My doubts are based on a straw poll I conducted. I've spoken to about ten people who had been quite vocal about Nightingale's "poor treatment" by the court/Army etc.

I told them how impossible it should be to "acquire" that number of live rounds, and my doubts about the story as to how the weapon had ended up in his SSSA flat, and to a man they realised how they had only been told about 20% of the story by the press.

By the by I'm one of the few on here who has worn the same cap badge as Sgt Nightingale.

[airpolice]

Airborne Artist, I wore a cap badge at the opposite end of the spectrum and yet we seem to share a common view of this.

I do agree with the sentiment that the great unwashed seem to be supporting. If indeed an SAS man was hung out to dry for doing his job, while bad men go free, that would be worthy of a complaint.

However, nobody has come on here to defend the actions that Sgt. Nightingale has admitted to, never mind what he's been "accused" of.

Are we really supposed to accept that it's ok to bring a weapon into camp and keep it?

How much ammo is/was in blocks, houses and rooms in the mess?

Perhaps, at a stretch, his admitted behaviour was/is normal for the Army. That needs to be changed if it is.

He took the gun back to his tent and "was going to hand it in"

"Aye, right"


There are lots of dialects where two negatives make a positive:

"I didn't do nothing guv!"

But,

Only in Scotland have we perfected the art of two positives making a negative:

[Wrathmonk]

I'm one of the few on here who has worn the same cap badge as Sgt Nightingale

Blimey a_a - I never had you down as a former foot soldier of The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (King’s, Lancashire and Border).

Always had you as HCav....

[Torque Tonight]

Interesting to see that the military discipline system has now evolved in to an X-Factor style popularity contest. Guilty or innocent, 5 years glasshouse or suspended sentence, you decide! Text your vote now to... blah, blah, blah....
Not a very illustrious episode from anyone's perspective.

[SilsoeSid]

a_a;

By the by I'm one of the few on here who has worn the same cap badge as Sgt Nightingale.

Wow!

[Shack37]

Quote:
I doubt that any of the >100,000 who signed the various petitions has the
slightest idea Quote:
Oddly, the people I hear defending him the loudest are not mil or ex mil.

Somewhat presumptive chaps, if not a tad arrogant?

Here's another one

I do agree with the sentiment that the great unwashed seem to be supporting

.

[parabellum]

Perhaps, at a stretch, his admitted behaviour was/is normal for the Army.

Things have obviously changed, when I was in the mob, (pre IRA activites 1969), as a member of the regimental shooting team I kept my weapon with me in barracks or at home in a WD Hiring. We didn't put them in the armoury as they had all been zeroed to ourselves and we didn't want them mixed up with others.

Also, in those days, being a member of HM military was considered as a licence to sensibly and safely carry and possess firearms, no police licence needed.

[airpolice]

Yeah, and a man waving a red flag walked in front of the car.

You could leave your door unlocked at night.

A pound could feed a family of four for a week.

They shipped criminals off to Australia.


It was all a long time ago.