One in three people believe that a Royal Marine sentenced to life in prison for executing a Taliban fighter in cold blood should serve no jail time, a poll has found.
A total of 35% of respondents wanted Sgt Alexander Blackman to serve no jail sentence, 23% believed he should do five years, 20% were in favour of 10 years, while 22% thought he should be imprisoned for more than 10 years, the Mail on Sunday reported.
The results of the poll came at the same time as a campaign to get the severity of the 10-year minimum life sentence given to Sgt Blackman was launched.
A Facebook page calling for his release had gained more than 17,500 likes on Saturday morning, while a second page launching a Downing Street e-petition had gained more than 4,000 likes.
Tory peer Lord Ashcroft said on Saturday that he would bankroll a campaign to reduce the former Royal Marine's sentence.
The online poll of 900 people conducted by Survation found that when asked a more general question 39% of voters said they disagreed with Blackman's 10-year minimum life sentence, while 37% were in favour.
Commenting on the poll, Sir Gerald Howarth, a former defence minister and current MP for army garrison town Aldershot, said he agreed the sentence was too harsh.
"The highest standard of discipline must be maintained in the armed forces and this man obviously committed an offence," Sir Gerald said. "But 10 years is too much. Five years would be more appropriate."
Sir Gerald said that the court should have taken the Royal Marine's "fine record" following several tours of duty into account when sentencing.
Lord Ashcroft, whose father was seriously injured in the D-Day landingsof World War II, became the highest profile public figure to lend his support to the campaign in support of Sgt Blackman.
In a tweet he said: "If asked, I would contribute towards the legal costs of Sergeant Blackman's appeal."
But arguing in favour of Blackman's punishment, former Lib Dem leader and Royal Marine Lord Ashdown said he was content with the judge's decision to follow the law.
Blackman, a respected senior non-commissioned officer with 15 years' experience, was convicted last month following a two-week court martial in which his two co-accused, known only as Marines B and C, were acquitted of murder.
But an order banning the Sergeant's naming was later lifted by High Court judges and he was also "dismissed with disgrace" from the Royal Marines.
The killing happened five months into an arduous six-month tour of Helmand province in 2011 with Plymouth-based 42 Commando, known as Operation Herrick 14.
Blackman, of Taunton, shot the Afghan insurgent, who had been seriously injured in an attack by an Apache helicopter, in the chest at close range with a 9mm pistol.
Calls for him to be treated more leniently came as the MoD announced that it had begun to organise 11 "semi-inquests" into cases of death in British custody in Iraq following a ruling by the High Court.
