What they said about... Danny Nightingale

Published on 02/12/2012 00:00

After SAS Sergeant Danny Nightingale had a conviction for smuggling home a “war trophy” pistol overturned, what have people been saying?

Colonel Richard Williams, former commander of the SAS, wrote in the Times: “The pistol should not have been in his possession in the UK. Nobody disputes this, especially Danny, a man who has spent his whole professional life fighting threats to this country. It beggars belief to think that he would actively try and import a weapon that could be handed over to criminals or terrorists.”

Joe Glenton, the Independent: “The saga of Danny Nightingale, I have no doubts at all, will make an excellent read when his inevitable book comes out and joins the dozens of Special Forces-flavoured Boy’s Own adventures in Waterstone’s. Which should go some way to paying off the substantial legal fee’s he has incurred.”

Sally Nightingale, Sergeant Nightingale’s wife: “People see the military fighting for them and representing them and protecting them and for him to be given a custodial sentence I think just outraged people, especially the job that Danny did.”

Maj Gen Julian Thompson, who led 3 Commando Brigade during the Falklands War: “War trophies go back to when we were all running around in skins, or not even dressed in anything at all, and you took something from your enemy – his best stone axe – and waved it around in the air to proclaim dominance.” «