SAS hero jailed 'like a drug dealer' over Falklands trophy pistol

THOUSANDS of readers signed The Sun’s petition calling for the release of jailed SAS hero Albert Patterson within hours of its launch yesterday. The Falklands veteran, 65, was given 15 months this week for keeping a handgun from the conflict as a trophy. The Sun has been joined by the soldier’s family, ex-comrades and former military chiefs in calling for him to be freed immediately. Former Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan Colonel Richard Kemp said: “He has been treated like a common criminal, not like the hero he is.“Albert Patterson risked his life countless times over two decades of courageous service. Is this the way he should be repaid? By going to a prison cell?” Gulf War hero John Nicol called the sentence staggeringly harsh. He said: “You see thugs, burglars and wife beaters getting away with almost no sentence. There needs to be flexibility and understanding.” Former Chief of the Defence Staff and SAS legend Field Marshal Sir Charles Guthrie called the punishment totally inappropriate. And Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy, said: “It does seem a harsh sentence for someone who is clearly not collecting weapons for use. “For someone who is not a present threat to society maybe a suspended sentence is better.” Read More Here

(RG) I found an enemy pistol on the ground when I was in the Falklands War, I took it on board ship with me and was going to take it back to the UK, when our officers told us we would all be going through metal detectors and anyone found with an illegal weapon would go to jail for up to eight years, so I reluctantly threw it over board, so this could quite easily have been me, but if I had brought it back I know that I would have killed myself with it.