Defence pleads guilty four years after Darwin soldier’s shooting death in bungled training exercise

The Australian Army has apologised to the family of a Darwin soldier killed in a bungled training exercise at the Mt Bundy training area, four years after his death.

• Coroner criticises ‘shambolic’ Army training exercise which led to ‘preventable’ death of Pte Jason Challis

THE Australian Army has apologised to the family of a Darwin soldier killed in a bungled training exercise at the Mt Bundy training area, four years after his death.

The Defence Department pleaded guilty in the Darwin Local Court on Tuesday to breaching a health and safety duty on the day of Private Jason Challis’s death in May 2017.

The court heard Pte Challis was killed by a gunshot wound to the head after he became separated from the rest of his unit while participating in the live fire exercise.

The plea came more than two years after a Coronial inquest found the training exercise was “a shambles” and Pte Challis’s mother, Helen Brandich, told the court the delay had compounded her family’s grief.

Jason Challis’s mother and stepfather Helen and Mirko Brandich arrive at the Darwin Local Court on Tuesday.

Mrs Brandich said her son’s death had “sucked the life out of us and left a huge hole in our hearts”.

“The last four years have been the hardest years of mine and my family’s life, it has taken a toll on all of us,” she said.

“It has taken way too long for this matter to be finalised so that we as a family can try and move on with our lives and get some closure.”

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In speaking of his own grief, Pte Challis’s father John Challis criticised the Defence Force’s policy of only recognising one next of kin, even when a soldier’s parents had separated.

“It was not until the CO of Jason’s unit got up and spoke (at his funeral) that I felt included,” he said.

“He looked me directly in the eyes, telling stories of Jason’s greatness, his comradeship to fellow soldiers and that he was a true Aussie digger.

“I want to thank him for all he did on that day.”

The department’s lawyer, Fiona McLeod SC, said Pte Challis’s death was “a terrible and avoidable tragedy and one that should never have occurred”.

“The plea of guilty to this charge is a recognition of the vulnerabilities of the processes of army and the fact that Pte Challis was not protected while in service as he was entitled to expect,” she said.

“The lessons learned from this incident have already and will continue to make a difference to ensuring that soldiers are safer in the future.”

Commander, Forces Command Major-General Matthew Pearse later took the stand to apologise for failing to provide a safe workplace for Pte Challis on the day.

Major-General Matthew Pearse outside court.

“I apologise unreservedly for the hurt and the harm that this training accident has caused your family and continues to cause your family,” he said.

Maj-Gen Pearse said seven individual defence force members had been disciplined over the incident, including one whose service had been terminated as a result.

The hearing continues on Wednesday.

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