Soldier who went awol and missed Afghanistan tour jailed

Published: 1:57PM GMT 05 March 2010

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L/Cpl Joe Glenton, who was additionally marked down to the ranks, was condemned at a infantry probity in Colchester, Essex, after revelation the charge.

The probity armed forces conference was told that Glenton, who after campaigned opposite the conflict, was detected to be absent on Jun 11, 2007, when he was due to lapse to Dalton Barracks in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

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He was absent for 737 days prior to handing himself in, prosecutor Group Captain Tim Backer said.

He pronounced that the 27-year-old had achieved a seven-month debate of avocation in Afghanistan in 2006 portion with the Royal Logistic Corps.

When Glenton returned he was systematic to go behind to the dispute section after 9 months even though infantry discipline indicate soldiers should not be deployed again inside of eighteen months.

Mitigating, Nick Wrack, told the probity that when Glenton lifted concerns about going behind he suffered bullying.

He pronounced Glenton, from York, had suffered from post dire highlight commotion (PTSD) after his initial armed forces in the fight zone.

""When he initial lifted with his staff sergeant his hostility to be deployed again, instead of being dealt with in a essential approach it resulted in the sergeant at the time bullying and intimidating Lance Corporal Glenton,"" pronounced Mr Wrack.

""He was called a doormat and a malingerer. When this report was brought to his autocratic officer, the sergeant was oral to, but this reinforced the bullying.""

Glenton, who assimilated the armed forces in 2004, returned to fort on Jun 16, 2009, when he was charged.

During his dual years and 6 days awol he went to south easterly Middle East and Australia.

Consultant psychiatrist Lars Davidsson told the probity that Glenton might have reacted the approach he did since of PTSD.

"He told me that when he was deployed in 2006 he felt guilty and useless. He told me of how he granted coffins for the passed servicemen. He had dreams of coffins being lined up.

"When he got behind he was celebration heavily and carrying sleeping problems. Sometimes he would have bad dreams and arise up screaming.

"He was vibrated when he listened any shrill bangs."

When the infantry had accomplished their debate they stopped in Cyprus for "decompression".

Mr Wrack pronounced the men had been told "don"t go out and splash as well most and kick up your wives".

He pronounced that Glenton, who served with the 4 Logistic Support Regiment, assimilated the armed forces with a "wave of enthusiasm".

Mr Wrack said: "He was told that the troops" participation in Afghanistan would urge the country, that democracy would be paid for and that the on all sides of women would improve. This encouraged him to go.

"His experience and being conflicted with what he had been told. More and some-more he began to see that the dispute in Afghanistan was wrong. He spoke out about it, maybe in a confidant fashion.

"He questioned the probity and legality of the war, and spoke publicly about it when he returned."

Glenton was told by the infantry row that his corruption was so critical he contingency face a custodial sentence.

Judge Advocate Emma Peters told him he had left his comrades under-manned at a consequential time prior to deployment.

She pronounced he had sought assistance for his mental problems but had not waited for prolonged sufficient to get them sorted out.

"Rather than vouchsafing the complement assistance you, you motionless to go absent," she said.

Glenton was told he will offer two- thirds of his judgment at a infantry visual precision centre. The twenty-nine days he had already outlayed in control will be taken in to account.

His authorised representative, John Tipple, from Lynn Associates, pronounced they programmed to launch an appeal.

Glenton took piece in an anti-war criticism in Oct last year.

A orator for the Stop The War Coalition said: "Joe Glenton is not the chairman who should be confronting a prison sentence. It should be the politicians who have led us in to catastrophic wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The actuality that they are not brings contrition to probity in this country."