A military judge has declared a mistrial in the case of Lynndie England after evidence at her trial undermined her guilty plea deal with prosecutors.
Ms England is a key figure in the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal and was pictured holding a naked prisoner on a leash.
"This trial is going to stop today and pick up at some time in the future," the judge, Col. James Pohl, told the military court. "There can be no findings of guilty that can be declared at this point."
Although the government could theoretically decide to drop the case, experts said a trial was likely in the future, with a new plea deal more difficult.
Ms England (22) shook her head what asked whether she wanted to comment on the mistrial. Her civilian attorney, Rick Hernandez, trying his first case in a military court, said only that he was disappointed at the collapse of the plea deal.
Col Pohl had repeatedly interrupted proceedings to warn that testimony by Ms England, and other witnesses speaking on her behalf, which was meant as mitigation to secure a shorter prison term, was verging on a statement of her innocence.
The judge acted after hearing evidence from convicted abuser Charles Graner which he said undermined her acceptance of guilt. "There is evidence being presented that you are not guilty," Col Pohl told Ms England.
Graner, England's former lover, said one of the central acts of the case - in which England appeared holding the naked prisoner on a leash - was a legitimate prison procedure.
"If you don't believe you are guilty, if you honestly believe you were doing what Graner told you to do, then you can't plead guilty," the judge said.
Under her deal, Ms England had pleaded guilty to seven counts of abuse in return for a shorter sentence and the dropping of two charges.
In a televised interview last year, England said she was just following orders, and took a similar line when the judge first asked her about her guilty plea on Monday.
Military authorities will now decide how to proceed with the case against England. The judge said because he had already dismissed two of the nine charges against England on Monday they cannot be introduced again in the future.