SOLDIER'S WOUND

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24133, 27 November 1941, Page 8

SOLDIER'S WOUND

NEGLIGENCE WITH RIFLE [BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION] INVERCARGILL, Wednesday A court-martial sat in Invercargill to-day to hear charges against a soldier who received a bullet wound through his foot. Tlie Court announced that it had found the accused, Private Thomas James Calderwood, not guilty of wilfully shooting himself through the foot, thereby making himself unfit for overseas service. On an alternative charge of negligently handling a rifle, the Court found accused guilty and announced that its sentence would be announced after it had been confirmed bv the officer commanding the Southern Military District, Brigadier 0. H. Mead. The prosecutor, Captain Hopper, said the accused was granted special leave from June 17 to 21 because of the illness of his wife. An extension of two days was granted. About June 18 accused borrowed a rifle for the purpose of shooting cats alleged to be a nuisance -where he was staying. According to his statement, he took the rifle to a workshop on Juno 22 for cleaning before returning it and accidentally shot himself through the right foot. Counsel for the accused, Mr. H. K. Carswell, said there was suspicion against the accused, but the suspicion was not sufficient to secure conviction. Suspicion attached to the accused because he was in stockinged feet. Evidence would be given that he was in the habit of going about the house in such a way and that ho had no slippers. If accused had been guilty of wilfully wounding himself and wanted to excuse himself he could easily have manufactured a more convincing story than the one about cats. Counsel submitted that there was no suggestion in the evidence that he wilfully shot himself.