Sentencing hearing for retired soldier in deadly Afghanistan training accident

CFB SHILO, Man. – A retired Canadian soldier should soon find out whether he will go to prison for leading a deadly training accident in Afghanistan.

A sentencing hearing starts today in the court martial of former warrant officer Paul Ravensdale, who was convicted last month on charges including breach of duty causing death.

The maximum penalty is life in prison, but the prosecution has yet to say what sentence it will seek at the hearing at CFB Shilo in western Manitoba.

Ravensdale was leading a test of anti-personnel mines three years ago when one misfired and sent hundreds of ball bearings in the wrong direction.

Cpl. Joshua Baker was killed and four other soldiers were injured.

Ravensdale was found guilty of failing to ensure soldiers were in a safe area for the test.

Two of his superiors have already been convicted, but were not sent to jail.

Maj. Darryl Watts was demoted two ranks to lieutenant and given a severe reprimand on charges of negligence and unlawfully causing bodily harm.

Maj. Christopher Lunney was demoted one rank to captain and given a severe reprimand after pleading guilty to negligent performance of duty.

Ravensdale faced more serious charges because he was the safety officer on the weapons range and also gave the order to fire the mine.

He did not testify at his court martial. Days after the accident, however, he told a military investigator he had no idea why the mine went off the way it did.

The operating manual for the C-19 mines, as well as military training safety manuals, require people to be 100 metres behind the weapons unless they are shielded. Video played at Ravensdale’s court martial showed some soldiers much closer than that and with nothing protecting them.