Calgary reservist avoids jail in deadly Afghanistan training accident

CALGARY – A Canadian Forces reservist has avoided jail for his role in a deadly training accident in Afghanistan three years ago.

But Maj. Darryl Watts is being demoted to lieutenant and is to receive a severe reprimand.

He was convicted at a court martial in Calgary late last year of unlawfully causing bodily harm and negligent performance of military duty.

Cpl. Josh Baker was killed and four other soldiers were injured when an anti-personnel mine misfired and shot hundreds of steel ball bearings in the wrong direction.

The prosecution had argued that Watts, who was the platoon commander, didn’t enforce safety standards and abdicated his duty as leader.

The defence suggested his blame worthiness was on the low end of the scale, since no one could have predicted what his lawyer called a “freak accident.”