( CNN ) -- A U.S. Marine accused of hazing a fellow Marine who later committed suicide in Afghanistan has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and a reduction in rank at a court-martial in Hawaii . Lance Cpl . Jacob D. Jacoby pleaded guilty to assaulting Lance Cpl . Harry Lew in April after Lew fell asleep while on watch after first arriving in Afghanistan . Charges also were filed against Sgt . Benjamin E. Johns and Lance Cpl . Carlos Orozco III , according to a Marine statement . They will face courts-martial later this year . `` It has been a bad tragedy for us and ( we ) never can be able to repair our broken heart , '' said Lew 's father , Allen , to CNN affiliate KHON in Honolulu . `` We just could n't believe their own peers could do something like that to their own people . '' A military investigation report obtained by the Marine Corps Times said Lew killed himself with a two- or three-round burst from an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon in the early hours of April 3 . According to the Marine Corps Times story on the report , a message found on Lew 's arm , believed to be a suicide note , said : `` May hate me now , but in the long run this was the right choice I 'm sorry my mom deserves the truth . '' The incident at Patrol Base Gowragi , in Nawa district , began with Lew failing to respond to radio calls late on the night of April 2 , the report said . A sergeant who found him sleeping told others that `` peers should correct peers , '' it said , as reported by the Marine Corps Times . The report detailed how two lance corporals , whose names were redacted , berated Lew and ordered him to do exercises in body armor for four hours , with one of them stomping on Lew 's legs at times . One Marine kicked and punched Lew until being stopped by another , the report said . Less than an hour later , it said , Lew killed himself . `` At 0343 on 3 April 2011 , while crouching down in the fighting position he had just dug , LCpl Lew leaned over his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon as it pointed to the sky , placed the muzzle in his mouth , pulled the trigger , and intentionally killed himself , '' the report said , according to the Marine Corps Times . The case drew national attention when Rep. Judy Chu , D-California , the aunt of the Marine who killed himself , told a congressional committee about it in September . `` Harry 's death was a heartbreaking tragedy that could have been prevented , '' Chu said in October . `` The decision by the Marines Corps to bring the three Marines before a jury of their peers brings comfort to the family and shows the military justice system at work . '' In her September appearance at a House Armed Services Committee hearing , Chu said her nephew 's sergeant told fellow Marines in the unit to `` teach '' the 21-year-old newcomer after he was found asleep on his watch . `` Lance Corporal Lew was beaten , berated and forced to perform rigorous exercise , '' she said then . `` He was forced to do push-ups and leg lifts wearing full body armor , and sand was poured in his mouth . He was forced to dig a hole for hours . He was kicked , punched and stomped on . And it did not stop until 3:20 a.m. '' In December , eight soldiers were charged in connection with the October death of another soldier in Afghanistan . Army Pvt . Danny Chen , 19 , was found dead in a guard tower , apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound . The eight officers and enlisted servicemen face various charges , including dereliction of duty , making false statements , maltreatment and involuntary manslaughter . The Army did not specify what alleged acts by the soldiers resulted in the charges , but family members said Chen had complained in letters of harassment by fellow soldiers before his death . An Army official said the soldiers are essentially charged with hazing and abusing Chen in the weeks and days before he apparently killed himself . CNN 's Tom Cohen contributed to this report .
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