Hero British para faces 12 years in notorious Georgian jail for bringing in medication used to treat spinal injuries from jump in Afghanistan

A British para hero faces a 12-year sentence in a notorious Georgian prison after being medicated for spinal cord injuries sustained from jumping in Afghanistan.

Sergeant Matthew ‘Des’ Desmond, 49, quickly declared the drugs as he crossed from Türkiye to the former Soviet republic on his Triumph motorcycle in April.

However, when he failed to obtain local paperwork despite his medication being in full compliance with the monthly prescription, he was arrested and charged with importing drugs.

Now, the highly decorated Iraq and Afghanistan veteran is locked up in Gldani Prison, once one of the world’s worst prisons for sexual abuse and extreme violence against inmates.

Sergeant Desmond, who received the distinguished Distinguished Service Medal at the late Queen’s 90th Birthday Ceremony, writhes in pain and can “barely put one foot in front of the other”.

Prison medics only gave him medication every other day, which relieved only about a tenth of his pain, lawyers say.

Sister Claire-Louise Rough, 43, who first raised the alarm, said: ‘A man who once fought to protect the lives of others now awaits justice himself.’

The former comrades also wrote a letter to the authorities, asking them to show mercy to this soldier who was ‘honest’, ‘compassionate’ and ‘generally regarded as a fantastic soldier’ ​​with ‘reliable’ money.

However, despite Georgians fighting side by side with Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan, where Georgians sent the most soldiers per capita, he is still in prison.

Sgt Desmond’s exploits in Afghanistan were covered by the Daily Mail at the time and immortalized in Desperate Glory, an unflinching account of his battalion’s 2008 tour through the ‘Hellmouth’ in Helmand, where they suffered the highest kill toll since World War II.

He served in 2PARA from 1995 until his retirement in 2018 and, as an admirer of the ancient Christian nation, had cycled through 25 countries before trying to enter Georgia on April 23.

Ms Rough appealed for help on a Facebook page in Georgia three days later, saying ‘I am desperate as the British embassy cannot find him’.

Jaba Kochlamazashvili, representing Sergeant Desmond, said the family were left in a ‘complete information vacuum’ until his team became involved.

“My client served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded many awards,” he told the Mail.

‘While serving while parachuting in Afghanistan, he suffered spinal cord injuries that still affect him.

‘Our position is that the circumstances clearly show that a person did not have any criminal intent; These conditions must be taken into account.’

0.0224 grams of buprenorphine, 0.75 grams of codeine and 5.84 grams of Pregabalin, classified as a psychotropic substance, were found with Sergeant Desmond.

Lawyers obtained the necessary paperwork in May to prove the drugs were for specific medical use, but he remains in custody pending a challenging hearing expected this week.

Desmond (third from left) served with 2PARA from 1995 until his retirement in 2018, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Prosecutors appear to accept that these were purely for personal medication, but lawyers say he must plead guilty and is likely to pay a fine of up to £30,000 or face eight to 12 years in prison.

“The conditions are extremely difficult,” Mr. Kochlamazashvili said, but added that he was “very mentally tough.”

‘Matthew is in constant, excruciating pain. He struggles to walk, lie down, or even sit comfortably. ‘They just can’t take the medications prescribed by their doctor.’

During a 2008 tour of Helmand, 2Para’s base was attacked 36 times amid 90 battles and skirmishes with elderly suicide bombers and children who repeatedly ambushed them.

But the battalion fought back with such ferocity – killing more than 300 Taliban – that the enemy dubbed the area ‘Hell’s Mouth’, a nod to the mercenaries’ fierce defence.

Desperate Glory, by journalist Sam Kiley, details how Sergeant Desmond fearlessly ran across an open field during a 2008 ambush, firing from the hip to reach a fallen comrade and carry his body out of the kill zone.

He later volunteered to participate in the dawn assault with a separate platoon, where he drew his Sig Sauer 9mm pistol and shot a Taliban commander at point-blank range as he reached for his holster.

After killing him he said coolly, ‘This is as close as I’m going to get to a fucking pistol duel.’

Back in Britain, Sergeant Desmond told the Mail in November 2008 that fighting the Taliban was like ‘trying to kill ghosts’, adding: ‘They would keep coming.’

Describing the first ambush, he said: ‘We encountered a wall of fire. It was the best initiated ambush I’ve ever seen in my 13 years in the military. ‘They were amazing that day.’

Sergeant Desmond became one of the first All Arms Advance EOD Operators and was again deployed to Afghanistan to neutralize Improvised Explosive Devices.

He was awarded two General Service Medals, the NATO medal for service in Kosovo, the Afghanistan Operational Service Medal and the Iraq Medal.

The veteran was also awarded the Gold and Diamond Jubilee medals, the Accumulated Service Medal, the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, and the Distinguished Service Medal.

The final medal requires at least 20 years of ‘good, faithful, meritorious and meritorious service’.

Gldani Prison was listed as one of the world’s worst prisons in 2012 after a video was leaked showing guards torturing, beating and sexually assaulting prisoners.

But a report published last year found the situation had improved, overcrowding was no longer a problem and there were no longer allegations of mistreatment or inter-prisoner violence.

An FCDO Spokesperson said: ‘We support a British man who has been detained in Georgia and is in contact with local authorities.’