Nova Scotia soldier gets four years for killing tent mate

Cpl. Matthew Wilcox was sentenced to four years behind bars and kicked out of the military on Wednesday for shooting a fellow Canadian soldier in Kandahar. Cpl. Kevin Megeney, Wilcox’s tent mate in Kandahar, was killed in the 2007 incident. During his trial, Wilcox said he thought he’d heard a gun being cocked behind him and mistakenly shot Megeney in self-defense. However, the Crown argued the two men had been playing a game of quick draw when Megeney was killed. There was initial speculation Wilcox would get off without a prison sentence, but the military judge ruled out that possibility Tuesday, announcing Wilcox would serve at least two years in prison. In handing down the four-year sentence on Wednesday, Cmdr. Peter Lamont, acknowledged the past friendship between the two men. However, he also said Wilcox’s actions were "part of a pattern of negligent behaviour."

CBC News