A FORMER Royal Marine from Taunton serving a life sentence for murdering a wounded Afghan captive faces the 'real possibility' of having his conviction quashed following the presentation of new evidence, an independent review has found.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has confirmed it is referring the conviction of Sergeant Alexander Blackman, also known as Marine A, to the Courts Martial Appeal Court.

Blackman was found guilty of murder at a Court Martial at the Military Court Centre, Bulford, Wiltshire, in 2013.

But the presentation of new evidence relating to Blackman's mental health at the time of the death in Helmand - and the fact that an alternative verdict of unlawful act manslaughter was not available during the trial - means the case will return to the court.

The decision marks the latest step in the fight by Blackman's wife, Claire, to clear her husband's name.

David James Smith, lead CCRC commissioner on the case, said: "We have scrutinised this murder conviction in minute detail and after a thorough investigation we have concluded that there are new issues - principally relating to Mr Blackman's state of mind at the time of the shooting - which in our view raise a real possibility that an appeal against conviction would now succeed.

"On that basis we are sending the case back to the Courts Martial Appeal Court so that a fresh appeal can be heard."

Blackman, who was serving with Plymouth-based 42 Commando, quoted Shakespeare as he shot his victim in the chest at close range with a 9mm pistol after the Afghan had been seriously injured in an attack by an Apache helicopter.

Footage from another marine's helmet-mounted camera showed Blackman shooting the Afghan prisoner in the chest with a 9mm pistol.

Blackman was then heard telling him: "There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil, you c***. It's nothing you wouldn't do to us."

He then turned to comrades and said: "Obviously this doesn't go anywhere, fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention."

During the trial, Blackman, of Taunton in Somerset, said he believed the victim was already dead and he was taking out his anger on a corpse.

Two other servicemen - known as Marine B and Marine C - were acquitted of murder.

Confirmation of the CCRC decision comes after an 11-month investigation into the conviction and sentence.

In a statement, the CCRC said new expert evidence had come to light, while an alternative charge was now available.

It said: "The Commission has concluded that these issues raise a real possibility that the Courts Martial Appeal Court will now quash Mr Blackman's murder conviction."

It will now be for the court to hear a fresh appeal and to decide the case.