Deer hunter admits he shot mate

WARWICK SMITH/Manawatu Standard

DEER HUNTER: Desmond Brannigan, who pleaded guilty yesterday to shooting his hunting companion in the arm, causing its amputation.

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A man who lost his arm in an ill- fated deer hunting expedition near Pohangina was in court yesterday to see his friend plead guilty to firing the shot that hit him.

Desmond Brannigan, 49, stood in the Palmerston North District Court dock while his victim Ross Smith, 38, watched from the public gallery.

Mr Smith - whose left arm was amputated after he was struck with a bullet from Brannigan's hunting rifle on December 7 - sat with his friend's family and supporters.

The two men had been friends for five years and were regular hunting companions, the court was told in a police summary.

Like they had several times before, the men walked separately through the dense bush to avoid alerting deer on their way to a hut nearly 2km away.

Just 750 metres before Mr Smith reached the hut, Brannigan - who was about 21m behind - heard a sound, and thinking it was a deer, raised his rifle.

Not knowing Mr Smith had veered off the track to look through a clearing, he fired a shot that hit him in the arm, shattering it on impact.

To stop his hunting companion following through with more shots, Mr Smith ran toward him shouting.

Brannigan immediately began administering first aid, later accepting responsibility and showing "extreme remorse", the court heard.

A month later, Mr Smith told the Manawatu Standard that he held no grudge against his good friend.

"Mates are mates. As far as I'm concerned, accidents happen."

Judge Gerard Lynch noted that the friends wanted the matter dealt with as soon as possible.

He remanded Brannigan for sentence on February 27.