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| US sniper jailed for Iraqi murder | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A US army sniper has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for murder without premeditation after he killed an Iraqi civilian and planted evidence on him. | |
| In May 2007, Sgt Evan Vela shot Genei Nasir al-Janabi, after the man saw him and other US snipers hiding near the town of Iskandariya, south of Baghdad. | |
| After the killing Vela planted an AK-47 on the Iraqi's body. | After the killing Vela planted an AK-47 on the Iraqi's body. |
| Vela had admitted to killing Mr Janabi, but tried to say it was an accident, blaming sleep deprivation. | |
| His defence argued that Vela had shot the man because he was acutely sleep deprived, having slept for less than five hours in three days whilst out in hostile terrain. | His defence argued that Vela had shot the man because he was acutely sleep deprived, having slept for less than five hours in three days whilst out in hostile terrain. |
| And that he had lied about the incident afterwards partly because he had been suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. | And that he had lied about the incident afterwards partly because he had been suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. |
| Vela had been initially been charged with premeditated murder, but that was changed in the course of his court martial in Baghdad. | |