<div>Matthew Desmond is a retired decorated wounded serviceman currently being held in a Georgian jail. His release and the costs of his jail term and legal fees will reach £60,000 and this will be his entire savings from a life of service to his country. This page is set up for those sympathetic to Matthew’s situation who might want to help him with his costs.
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<div>In April 2026 Matthew was on an extended motorbike trip in Europe and planned to enter Georgia as it was a country of interest to him. He followed the FCDO travel advice which stated he needed to have copies of his prescriptions and doctors notes that proved his medication was for his personal use. He was arrested at the border as he didn’t know that the supporting materials needed to be translated into Georgian and notarised and apostle. Matthew was taken to GIldani prison where he has been since then. His friends and family have worked with lawyers in Georgia to try and gain his release. After three months, the Georgian prosecutor offered a plea bargain which would mean Matthew would be released after paying £28,200. In total, including his legal fees and the costs incurred in prison and relating to his release, Matthew will end up paying over £60,000 of his savings to be released. This is all of the money Matthew had saved from his career serving his country.
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<div>Sergeant Matthew 'Des' Desmond, 49 is a highly decorated Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who received the distinguished Meritorious Service Medal in the late Queen's 90th Birthday Honours. His heroics in Afghanistan were reported at the time and eternalised in Desperate Glory, an unflinching account of his battalion's 2008 tour of the 'Mouth of Hell' in Helmand. He served in 2PARA from 1995 until being medical discharged in 2018. On his 2008 tour of Helmand, 2Para's base was attacked 36 times amid 90 battles and skirmishes. Desperate Glory by journalist Sam Kiley details how Sgt Desmond sprinted fearlessly across open ground firing from his hip to reach a fallen comrade and haul his body out of the kill zone during an ambush in 2008.
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<div>Sgt Desmond then became one of the first All Arms Advance EOD Operators and deployed again to Afghanistan to disarm Improvised Explosive Devices. He has been awarded two General Service Medals, the NATO medal for services in Kosovo, the Operational Service Medal Afghanistan as well as the Iraq Medal. The veteran was also handed the Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals, the Accumulated Service Medal, Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and Meritorious Service Medal. The last medal requires at least 20 years of 'good, faithful, valuable and meritorious service'.
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