A SERVING soldier who could face up to 10 years in jail for rebelling against the war in Afghanistan has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, who grew up in Ryedale and now lives in New Earswick, York,stands accused of desertion after going absent without leave from the British Army and has also been charged with a string of offences surrounding the part he played in an anti-war rally in London.

The married 27-year-old will next appear before a military court at the end of this month but his legal team has revealed his experiences have led to him being diagnosed with the psychological trauma known as PTSD.

L/Cpl Glenton’s representatives say they hope this will now be taken into account by the Army.

He went absent from his role with the Royal Logistics Corps in 2007 rather than return to serve his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He handed himself over to the Army two years later, but not before delivering a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown in which he claimed the war was “doomed to fail”.

After the desertion allegation was levelled against him, the former Helmsley Primary School pupil, who spent much of his teenage life in Ryedale, led hundreds of campaigners through London in an October protest march and addressed more than 5,000 people – the first time a serving soldier had aligned himself with such an event – and was subsequently charged with five offences of disobeying lawful commands and standing orders.

Before his PTSD diagnosis, L/Cpl Glenton was being held at the Army’s military corrective training centre in Colchester, but his representative John Tipple said he was now back in York, although the soldier has been gagged from speaking to the media.

He added: “The Army needs to carry out its own psychiatric assessment. We hope this will be completed before the next hearing on January 29.”

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said they could not comment on L/Cpl Glenton’s situation because of the ongoing legal proceedings.