"I was on the first Stop the War march seven or eight years ago and I was furious then that Blair and co ignored it. It is strange now that my son’s involvement now in Stop The War may be forcing them to listen.

"Joe and his colleagues had extensive training before they went out there. They were told that they should report unethical or immoral deeds they saw there. Service personnel are obliged to report any wrongdoing. In Afghanistan Joe questioned whether the war was right or not.

"His superior officers had told him that the war in Afghanistan was to bring about peace in the country, combat the threat of terrorism in this country and elsewhere. He was told that the position of ordinary people, especially women would improve. His superior officers said the war was to enable a democratic government to be reconstructed, and for the country to be rebuilt.. In addition he was told he was there to provide security.

"When he went out there he really thought he was going to go and do some good

"On his return to the UK he was promoted three years ahead of his promotion curve demonstrating that the army thought he was an exemplary soldier who should be promoted.

"This exemplary soldier did not take his decision lightly to refuse to deploy. His sense of loyalty to his fellow soldiers and his personal involvement in a situation he did not agree with caused him enormous turmoil. This exemplary soldier has been arrested and is in Colchester Detention Centre.

"He will be coming out now!

"The outcome of the last hearing was that Joe had been arrested unlawfully under charges that had previously been withdrawn. His only outstanding charge is of desertion, which was changed from AWOL after his first letter to Gordon Brown.

"He was offered bail by the judge but he refused as the offer included a gagging order. He is in now custody serving 28 days.

Joe has now been diagnosed with PTSD by an independent psychiatrist. His condition was undiagnosed by the military medics two years ago, as it is for many serving and past soldiers. He went to the GP in Abingdon before leaving for Afghanistan and he was told he was fine. He could run couldn’t he so he was ‘fit enough to go’. That was the diagnosis. I knew he was sufferind then. I had been worried for two years.

Like Danny Fitzsimmons incarcerated in a Baghdad dungeon suffering from unacknowledged PTSD how many more of them are there. That could have been Joe in that Baghdad dungeon, or any mother’s son or daughter.

There is a  lack of duty of care from the military. This PTSD is treatable and the Army just does not want to know. They just want people out there working.

We have enormous confidence on his legal team thank you."