Hunter acquitted of harming friend in negligent shotgun incident

Magistrate Edwina Grima yesterday found Darren Bonnici, 31, from Santa Lucia, guilty of causing grievous injuries to Kyle Gili from Zabbar after negligently shooting the victim in the head.

The court held that the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident were partly contributed to by the victim himself when he flinched whilst being fully aware that his friend was still taking aim. The court also considered the fact that the two are still friends to this day and acquitted the accused of the charges of causing grievous injuries to Gili.

Magistrate Grima heard how at around 11am on January 20, 2010 the two friends went hunting at a bird sanctuary known as Il-Foss, in the limits of Zabbar. The two had stopped to smoke a cigarette but Bonnici saw a bird and took aim, whilst instructing Gili to crouch and not to move.

The accused shot at the bird but missed so he kept the bird in aim and shot again. In the meantime Gili moved, was hit in the head by the shot and fell to the ground.

The accused immediately called the police and an ambulance was dispatched to the site. Gili was taken to hospital where his condition was found to be critical, however after some weeks his condition stabilized and he was sent home.

The court acquitted Bonnici of hunting within the boundaries of a bird sanctuary and of being in possession of weapons and ammunition inside the same sanctuary. Magistrate Grima handed the accused a six-month imprisonment suspended for one year, over negligence.