A special forces soldier has been handed a suspended jail sentence after a training exercise descended into disaster when he mistakenly fired live rounds instead of blanks, hitting a colleague seven times and leaving him with life-changing injuries.
The shocking incident, which occurred during a hostage drill in January 2019, was detailed at Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire, where the shooter, known only as Soldier B for security reasons, received a six-month suspended prison sentence and was ordered to pay £5,000 compensation.
Soldier A, the victim, was struck in the chest and arms and has since been medically discharged from the military with both severe physical injuries and post-traumatic stress. Reading his victim statement in court, Lieutenant Colonel Emma Whiting was moved to tears as she relayed his words.
“There is no doubt, if I hadn’t been wearing my body armour, I would have been shot dead,” Soldier A said. He explained that body armour had not been compulsory for the drill but he had chosen to wear it because it helped him carry other equipment.
The court heard that Soldier B, an experienced serviceman but new to the elite unit, had mistakenly loaded his rifle with live ammunition while reloading at speed in a poorly lit area. Believing he had separated the live and blank magazines, he reached for the wrong one.
Prosecutor Lt Col Whiting told the court: “He failed to properly check the magazine matter before inserting it.”
Judge Advocate General Jane England said multiple military failings had reduced Soldier B’s culpability. A planned safety briefing was cancelled, while the magazines containing blanks were almost identical to those with live rounds.
During the exercise, Soldier A had been playing an enemy role, guarding a conference room where hostages were being held. Soldier B opened fire as he passed him, with colleagues initially assuming the blood and screams were part of the role-play scenario. Only when Soldier A identified himself as a “no-bluff casualty” did medics realise the injuries were real.
He was hit by 23 live rounds, with the last seven causing the worst damage. His left arm required extensive reconstruction after he lost 90 per cent of a key nerve, and his chest also needed surgery.
“My injuries have changed my life and will continue to have an impact,” Soldier A said.
Soldier B later visited him in hospital to apologise.
