Let's have a reality check.

There must be very few service people involved with guns and ammo (involved, not just users) who have not come off the range wit the odd empty case, or even live round, tucked away at some time.

When I looked after the ammo stocks for the shooting club, if I got a delivery of ammunition in my lunch hour there was no way I was going to go to the guardroom, draw the key to the club, obtain th special authorisation to open the ammo locker, but the ammo away and do all the locking up,

It went in the bottom of my locker until the next club night. Had I been caught, like blokes in similar positions on various military bases, I'd have been lucky to hang on to my pension, let alone my freedom.

If you're involved with weapons you know the score, and you know the penalties.

I was once a "Ulster Hero" until, that is, in the mid 70s, I lost a quarter of a million rounds of small arms ammunition in the environs of Belfast Airport.

No-one wanted to know about Ulster heroes then, let me tell you (it was a paperwork error, but I spent a very uncomfortable couple of days!).

I've done time, military time, which is hard time, for "improper use of explosives in a public place" Yes I copped a plea (not much choice really, who's going to believe a teenage erk over a DCI of the Met?) but I knew the risks when I decided to bugger about. Many could tell similar stories, though few were daft enough to get caught like me.

A Senior Non-Commissioned Officer in the SAS didn't know about weapon regulations, and how to get round them?

Don't make me laugh!

I'd be interested to know how any of the press know of his "Outstanding Service" as pretty much all SAS missions are secret, and are mostly deniable due to dubious legality.

It's a given that he should be referred to as a hero though, as few mere mortals would ever pass the selection process, which I understand from my research would kill most people.

None of this should detract from the fact that he broke the law, and quite rightly was jailed.

So many saying he's guilty, do you know something the Appeal Judge doesn.t The Judge wouldn't have given him leave to appeal against the conviction unless he had large concerns about his guilt

morddwyd - Slight correction - There is only one Judge Advocate General (Jeff Blackett) but there are several Judge Advocates.