A US Navy medic attached to a Marine unit accused in the murder of an Iraqi grandfather has told a military court that the unit leader congratulated his squad after the killing.
After the Marines dragged the grandfather from his home in Hamdania, bound him, put him in a bomb crater and killed him, the unit leader, Sgt Lawrence Hutchins, told his troops: "Congratulations, we just got away with murder, gents," according to Petty Officer Melson Bacos.
Officer Bacos was testifying in the sentencing hearing for Lance Cpl Trent Thomas, who had admitted to firing several rounds at Hashim Ibrahim Awad (52).
The killing last year was one in a series of incidents of rogue behaviour by members of the US armed services that damaged the reputation of the United States.
Lce Cpl Thomas (25) pleaded guilty on January 18th to murder, conspiracy, larceny housebreaking, kidnapping and lying to investigators.
The military court at Camp Pendleton north of San Diego has yet to sentence him. He was the fifth member of the eight-man squad to plead guilty in the case.
Sgt Hutchins has not entered a plea in the case and is set to go to trial.
Officer Bacos was the first to plead guilty and received a year in prison, the lightest sentence of the four who have been sentenced.
He said his squad hid three times from US surveillance as it moved the intended victim.
"I think Mr Awad knew we wanted to do something bad to him. I remember hearing him say, Mister, please, Mister, please,'" he said.
"He tried to go back to his house but he was turned around and pushed forward."
Minutes later, Mr Awad was shot and mortally wounded as the troops staged a firefight to cover their crime.
Sgt Hutchins and Lce Cpl Thomas administered the coup de grace, with shots to the head and chest, Officer Bacos said.
A plea deal that has not been made public has set a maximum prison sentence for Lce Cpl Thomas in the case, but the military court could set a lower sentence when it decides its verdict as early as today.