A special forces soldier has been sentenced by a military court after accidentally shooting his colleague seven times during a training exercise.
The incident at a top secret military location left the solider, who has not been named, with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and life-changing injuries.
After a mix-up of live and blank rounds, the victim was struck multiple times in the arms and chest.
He was later medically discharged from the Armed Forces.
A special forces soldier has been sentenced by a military court after accidentally shooting his colleague seven times (file photo)
|PA
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Reading out the undisclosed soldier's witness statement at Bulford Military Court, an emotional Lieutenant Colonel Emma Whiting said: “There is no doubt, if I hadn’t been wearing my body armour, I would have been shot dead.”
Although the armour was not required for the exercise, the victim wore it to ensure his other items he had fit better.
The soldier responsible had equipped his assault rifle with the incorrect ammunition when he quickly reloaded his weapon in the darkness, the military court heard.
He was handed a six-month suspended sentence after admitting to performing a duty negligently.
In addition to the sentence, the soldier was ordered to pay £5,000 in compensation to his victim.
Assistant Judge Advocate General Jane England said the soldier's culpability was limited because of numerous failures by the military leading up to the incident.
Bulford Military Court heard that the live ammunition looked almost identical to magazines containing blank rounds, and a safety briefing had been cancelled.
The court martial was told it was the soldier's first time training with the secret unit - despite being an experienced combatant.
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Prosecutor Lieutenant Colonel Whiting said: “He failed to properly check the magazine matter before inserting it.”
During the drill designed to practice critical hostage situations, the perpetrator did not anticipate performing a "shooting role" but stepped up to the challenge while the victim was part of the "enemy" team.
The prosecutor added: “As Soldier B went past Soldier A, he saw blood burst from his forearm.”
The accidental shooter believed that the victim's screams were part of the drill, only realising he had seriously injured the victim after colleagues rushed in to provide first aid.
The victim suffered devastating wounds to his chest, abdomen, left forearm and right arm.
The court heard that he had to undergo reconstruction surgeries to his arm and chest, and lost 90 per cent of a median nerve, which aides movement in the forearm, wrist and fingers.
The victim statement noted: “My injuries have changed my life and will continue to have an impact."
The court heard that the perpetrator visited the injured soldier while he was in hospital, and apologised in-person.
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