'Honourable' killer sacked from US Army

A tank commander who shot dead an injured Iraqi prisoner and said it was the honourable thing to do was thrown out of the US army today.

But the court-martial at a US base in Germany did not impose a prison sentence on Captain Rogelio Maynulet, 30.

He had been convicted of assault with intent to commit manslaughter, which carries a 10-year maximum sentence.

He maintained the killing was “honourable” because he wanted to end the man’s suffering.

Maynulet stood at attention as his sentence was announced in Wiesbaden. He then embraced his two defence lawyers and his wife, Brooke, who burst into tears.

Prosecutors had sought a three year prison sentence in addition to dismissal from the armed forces. They argued that he deserved a strong penalty to send a signal to other US soldiers that such behaviour would not be tolerated.