Compare that with the dark story which unfolded in Kirkcaldy this week, in which Miss Aitken, a youth worker, became the innocent victim of his mental turmoil.
The court heard she had become deeply concerned about his increasingly violent temper since coming home from the war.
He launched the brutal attack on her in an argument at the home they shared in the town.
Reynolds was accompanied in court by a captain from his regiment. His solicitor, Krista Johnston, said he had gone AWOL for more than four months and his mental health appeared to have deteriorated.
But she added that ‘all being well he will continue in the Army’. The court heard he could be transferred to another regiment.
Outside court, Miss Aitken, who is no longer in contact with him, said she did not want to speak about the case and was ‘just looking forward to moving on’.
The Combat Stress charity, which has worked with more than 100,000 veterans since it was founded after the First World War, is helping more than 600 British ex-servicemen and women who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Some are so traumatised, or unable to come down from a state of hyper-alertness, that they cannot cope with everyday situations such as shopping in crowds.
Spokesman Neil Cox said the numbers being cared for rise steadily. ‘There is often a long gap, on average just over 13 years, between people leaving the Forces and seeking help. It’s particularly difficult for strong guys or so-called macho men who are less able or willing to accept what would be perceived by them as a weakness.’
Back in the day: The Military Cross
was awarded to Corporal Christopher Sean Reynolds,
left, for his skilled work in AfghanistanRead more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2017799/Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=42433.0
