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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Man cleared of stealing from SAS | Man cleared of stealing from SAS |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| An Army finance sergeant has been cleared of stealing cash from the SAS. | An Army finance sergeant has been cleared of stealing cash from the SAS. |
| Staff Sgt Mark McKay, 35, of Ballykelly, Northern Ireland, denied stealing $200,000 (about £100,000) from the SAS headquarters in Hereford. | Staff Sgt Mark McKay, 35, of Ballykelly, Northern Ireland, denied stealing $200,000 (about £100,000) from the SAS headquarters in Hereford. |
| He had told Bulford Military Court the cash was earned "legitimately" by running a private tuck shop during a deployment in the Middle East in 2003. | He had told Bulford Military Court the cash was earned "legitimately" by running a private tuck shop during a deployment in the Middle East in 2003. |
| A board of five Army officers took an hour and 20 minutes to return its not guilty verdict. | A board of five Army officers took an hour and 20 minutes to return its not guilty verdict. |
| The week-long court martial heard how Staff Sgt McKay, of the Adjutant General's Corps (AGC), made profits on selling everything from alcohol, toiletries and cigarettes to Viagra. | The week-long court martial heard how Staff Sgt McKay, of the Adjutant General's Corps (AGC), made profits on selling everything from alcohol, toiletries and cigarettes to Viagra. |
| The father-of-two was arrested after money was found in plant pots outside his home. | The father-of-two was arrested after money was found in plant pots outside his home. |
| Sales to troops | Sales to troops |
| He told the court earlier he was "ashamed" by the huge profits he made. | He told the court earlier he was "ashamed" by the huge profits he made. |
| Staff Sgt McKay, who had served in the Middle East between February and May 2003 during the Second Gulf War, was posted to Ballykelly after leaving the SAS. | Staff Sgt McKay, who had served in the Middle East between February and May 2003 during the Second Gulf War, was posted to Ballykelly after leaving the SAS. |
| John Mackenzie, defending, said he had earned the cash legitimately by running the private venture, funded with his own cash. | John Mackenzie, defending, said he had earned the cash legitimately by running the private venture, funded with his own cash. |
| He provided products to SAS troops and large numbers of soldiers from other coalition countries based at the same compound, which was in a "country bordering Iraq". | He provided products to SAS troops and large numbers of soldiers from other coalition countries based at the same compound, which was in a "country bordering Iraq". |
| Staff Sgt McKay told the military court that during the three-month deployment he made a total of $371,000 (about £186,000) in addition to doing his official clerical duties. | Staff Sgt McKay told the military court that during the three-month deployment he made a total of $371,000 (about £186,000) in addition to doing his official clerical duties. |
| He was one of only several people allowed off the base for non-operational reasons, and he said he used that opportunity to buy items with his own money in a nearby city and then sell them on. | He was one of only several people allowed off the base for non-operational reasons, and he said he used that opportunity to buy items with his own money in a nearby city and then sell them on. |
| Staff Sgt McKay is now based in Camberley, Surrey. |