Colchester: MP To Visit Jailed Sniper

An SAS sniper jailed in Essex for illegally possessing a gun will be visited in prison by the MP who has taken up his cause, prompting the case to be debated by MPs.

Julian Brazier, MP for Canterbury and Whitstable, will visit Sergeant Danny Nightingale at the Military Corrective Training Centre in Colchester.

Sgt Nightingale, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was sentenced to 18 months in military detention by a court martial after pleading guilty to possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition.

The controversial case has sparked outrage from SAS veterans and Mr Brazier, a former captain in the SAS reserves, has secured an adjournment debate on the case and will visit the father-of-two, Sgt Nightingale's lawyer confirmed.

Sgt Nightingale's wife, Sally, (pictured) has visited him for the first time since he was sentenced two weeks ago.

Mrs Nightingale, who has written to Prime Minister David Cameron urging him to intervene, said her husband had become "gaunt" and was "struggling with being locked up for 16 hours a day".

Accompanied by Sgt Nightingale's father, Humphrey, she said her husband was finding his situation difficult, but was "humbled" by the public's support.

Four special forces veterans, including the former commanding officer of the SAS, have also written an open letter to Mr Cameron, claiming Sgt Nightingale was "the victim of a monstrous miscarriage of justice", and the case is to be debated by MPs on Tuesday evening (20th November).

Sgt Nightingale pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a 9mm Glock pistol which had been packed up and returned to him by colleagues after he had to leave Iraq in a hurry to help organise the funeral of two friends killed in action. He also admitted possessing ammunition.

The court martial heard that the gun was a gift from Iraqi soldiers he had been helping to train, but the father-of-two, who had suffered medical problems affecting his memory, said he did not remember having it.