ONE moment Toby Blackburn was showing his mate Alec Paterson a ri?fle.
?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 a tearful 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, at a Boundary Road house on Wednesday night, was accidental, and how the ri?fle was discharged was not yet known.
Blackburn, an apprentice plumber, has been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, handling/using a ?firearm under the in?fluence of alcohol and not keeping a firearm safely.
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 Paterson’s house.
According to the facts, Blackburn took the ri?fle 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.
Mr Paterson was ?flown ?firstly to Wagga Base Hospital and then to ?the Canberra Hospital.
Ms Kennedy granted Blackburn bail and adjourned the case to Narrandera Local Court.
No pleas have been entered to the charges.
