ONE moment Toby Blackburn was showing his mate Alec Paterson a rife.
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The next moment, Blackburn was trying to save Mr Paterson’s life after the firearm discharged and a bullet smashed into the man’s head behind an ear.
Details of the tragedy were revealed in Wagga Local Court on Thursday where 25-year-old Blackburn was applying for bail while Mr Paterson was fighting for his life in The Canberra Hospital after emergency surgery to remove the .22 bullet.
Mr Paterson, 24, was in a critical condition after the surgery, a spokesman for the hospital said.
Blackburn’s solicitor John Weir told magistrate Erin Kennedy the shooting was accidental, and how the rifle was discharged was not yet known.
“The act of squeezing the trigger does not seem intentional,” Mr Weir said in his bail application.
“His instructions to me are he told police he simply did not know how it discharged.”
Mr Weir said the shooting appeared to be an unfortunate accident.
Blackburn, an apprentice plumber, has been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, handling/using a firearm under the influence of alcohol and not keeping a firearm safely.
He was arrested at the Boundary Road, Narrandera, house where Mr Paterson was shot about8.30pm on Wednesday and remanded in custody until Thursday’s court appearance.
Blackburn was clearly distressed while in court.
Reading from police facts tendered for the bail application, Ms Kennedy said Blackburn and another man had been out shooting when one of them received a telephone call from Mr Paterson and as a result they went to Mr Patterson’s house.
According to the facts, Blackburn took the rifle with him and approached the house with the purpose of showing Mr Paterson the rifle.
Mr Paterson and his girlfriend were in the kitchen.
Ms Kennedy said as Blackburn showed the rifle from outside the kitchen window it discharged and a round penetrated the window and hit Mr Paterson.
His girlfriend unlocked the door and Blackburn rushed in to help his friend before police and paramedics arrived.
Mr Paterson was flown firstly to Wagga Base Hospital and then to The Canberra Hospital.
“It’s an unusual set of facts,” Ms Kennedy said.
To allegations Blackburn was intoxicated, Mr Weir said his client’s eyes were red from working on a roof and it did not take much of a drink for alcohol to be smelt on a person’s breath.
Ms Kennedy granted Blackburn bail and adjourned the case to the March 20 sittings of Narrandera Local Court.
No pleas have been entered to the charges.