Accused reservist tells court martial he wasn’t qualified to run firing range

CALGARY – A Calgary reservist charged in a fatal training accident in Afghanistan has taken the stand in his own defence at his court martial.

Maj. Darryl Watts faces six charges, including manslaughter, in the death of Cpl. Josh Baker in February 2010.

Four other soldiers were injured.

Watts told the military court that he had never been familiarized with the Claymore anti-personnel mine the soldiers were training on that day.

He also testified that he had never been qualified to run a firing range and had informed his commanding officer of that.

Watts’s lawyer told the military panel that, in hindsight, the accident could have been prevented, but he cautioned that hindsight can’t be used to determine guilt.