Baghdad, Dec 11, SPA -- A U.S. military court sentenced a U.S. soldier to three years in prison for murdering an Iraqi civilian, the military said in Baghdad Saturday. Staff Sergeant Johnny Horne Jr pleaded guilty to shooting dead a severely wounded 16-year-old Iraqi in the Sadr City area of Baghdad on August 18. The Iraqi had been injured when U.S. soldiers opened fire on a rubbish truck. Horne had claimed he'd shot the youth as a "mercy killing". As well as the jail sentence Horne was reduced in rank to private and given a dishonourable discharge. --SPA 1314 Local Time 1014 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/224010