Donald Payne (soldier)

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Corporal Donald Payne is a former soldier of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment of the British Army who became the first member of the British armed forces to admit to committing a war crime, when he plead guilty on 19 September 2006 to a charge of inhumane treatment under the International Criminal Court Act 2001[1]. He was jailed for one year and dismissed from the army as a result of his actions.[2]

On 14 September 2003, a number of Iraqis were detained by British forces in raids on hotels in Basra. The detainees were taken to a three-room building in Basra, where they were questioned for 36 hours. Among the detainees was Baha Mousa, a 26 year old employee of the Haitham Hotel in Basra, who died as a result of the interrogation. The subsequent post-mortem found 93 injuries.[1]

On 19 July 2005, attorney general Lord Goldsmith announced that Payne was being charged with manslaughter, perverting the course of justice and inhumane treatment of persons under the International Criminal Court Act 2001. On the same day, another ten soldiers were also charged with similar crimes, six relating to the death of Mousa and four relating to the death of another Iraqi, Ahmed Jabber Kareem Ali, on 8 May 2003.[3]

During the subsequent court martial, Corporal Payne admitted he "enjoyed" hearing Iraqis call out during torture. He was cleared of manslaughter and perverting the course of justice. Six other soldiers were cleared of any charges.[2]

Payne had been dismissed from the army and sentenced to one year in a civilian jail on 30 April 2007.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b British soldier admits war crime. BBC News (19 September 2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
  2. ^ a b UK soldier jailed over Iraq abuse work=BBC News (30 April 2007). Retrieved on 2007-04-30.
  3. ^ UK soldiers face war crimes trial. BBC News (20 July 2005). Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
  4. ^ UK soldier jailed over Iraq abuse. Channel 4 (30 April 2007). Retrieved on 2007-04-30.
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