Friday, May 22, 2009

Hunter cleared in toilet seat shooting

A hunter from western Sweden has been cleared of charges of endangering human life after accidentally shooting a distant toilet seat rather than the goose at which he had taken aim.

Borås District Court said it believed the 37-year-old from Ulricehamn when he claimed to have exercised sufficient caution at the time of the shooting.

The accident happened when the man spotted a goose by the lakeside while out hunting near the village of Hökerum. When the hunter missed his target the bullet travelled 1.6 kilometres over Tolken Lake, straight past a couple of cottage owners and their guest.

Shaken by the proximity of the bullet, the homeowners went inside from the balcony to assess the damage. A broken toilet seat bore witness to the hunter's poor marksmanship.

The only explanation provided by the court for the distance travelled by the bullet was that it may have ricocheted off a stone. The court admitted that this seemed unlikely but could not come up with any other explanation for the monumental misfire.

The court also expressed surprise that the hunter had missed the goose given the excellent hunting conditions on the day in question. The 37-year-old denied committing an offence, claiming it was highly unlikely that his shot could have reached the distant lavatory.

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