Sydney, N.S. — The Canadian Press Published on Friday, Jul. 03, 2009 10:09PM EDT Last updated on Friday, Jul. 24, 2009 3:16PM EDT
A reservist was grilled for three hours Friday by the defence on exactly what he saw and heard on the night a colleague was shot and killed by another Canadian soldier in Afghanistan.
Master Corporal Matt Morse of the West Nova Scotia Regiment testified during a court martial that he had just made it back to his tent at Kandahar Airfield on March 6, 2007, when he heard a gunshot from the other side of the partitioned shelter.
Corporal Matthew Wilcox, 23, of Glace Bay, N.S., is charged with manslaughter, criminal negligence causing death, and negligent performance of duty in the death of Corporal Kevin Megeney of Stellarton, N.S.
Defence lawyer Major Stephen Turner quickly attacked MCpl. Morse's version of what Cpl. Wilcox allegedly said in the aftermath of the shooting.
“I remember him saying, ‘Oh my God,' and, ‘Where is your (Tactical Combat Casualty Care) bag,' or something to that effect,” MCpl. Morse testified.
“I cannot state word for word what he said at the time.”
MCpl. Morse was critical of questions asked by the defence during cross-examination and butted heads with Major Turner several times by answering questions with his own questions.
At one point, MCpl. Morse openly challenged Major Turner's intent when he asked who he discussed the shooting with.
MCpl. Morse conceded telling “a few people” that he was there on the night of the fatal shooting.
“I don't recall discussing exactly what had happened of the incident in question,” he said. “I'd discuss something occurred but I wouldn't discuss what actually occurred.”
MCpl. Morse said the events surrounding Cpl. Megeney's shooting and death were something he didn't talk about with his army buddies, but admitted telling a bunkmate about it likely being an accident.
“It's a topic I don't normally discuss,” MCpl. Morse said.
Major Turner accused MCpl. Morse of being less than truthful when he added information during a March 18, 2007, interview that wasn't a part of an earlier statement on March 11.
During the second interview, MCpl. Morse added comments Cpl. Wilcox allegedly made outside the tent after the shooting.
“You weren't trying to be helpful to the (military police) and the prosecution who you met with throughout this case?” Major Turner asked.
“I answered what I was asked,” MCpl. Morse replied, adding it wasn't his job to volunteer information.
“There was never a moment where I was asked to tell them everything that happened. If I wasn't asked a specific question, how was I supposed to know it was relevant?”
Repeatedly stating he couldn't recall the exact words Cpl. Wilcox said on the night of the shooting, MCpl. Morse said he was giving the defence “truthful answers.” But he qualified that by saying he was tired and stressed out when he composed his written statement on March 11.
“I was under a lot of stress at that time . . . having gone through a ramp ceremony for one of my colleagues,” he said.
MCpl. Morse testified that he and another soldier found the bullet from the Browning nine-millimetre pistol that killed Cpl. Megeney on a table in the tent. The discovery was made a couple of hours after military police had allowed soldiers back in the tent.
He said no one touched anything on the table, to his knowledge, and military police were called back to the tent to collect the bullet and other evidence.
Testimony continues Monday.
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