HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA -- (Marketwire) -- 11/18/11 -- Lieutenant-Colonel Louis-Vincent d'Auteuil, a Canadian Forces military judge, has sentenced Mr. Matthew Wilcox to a four-year period of imprisonment, less 76 days for time already served, in the shooting death of Corporal Kevin Megeney.
Mr. Wilcox will serve his term of incarceration at Springhill Institution in Nova Scotia.
The judge also ordered that Mr. Wilcox be prohibited from possessing prohibited weapons, prohibited firearms or restricted firearms for the rest of his life. He may not posses other firearms or weapons until 10 years after his release from prison.
The shooting death occurred on March 6, 2007, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. At the time of the incident, Mr. Wilcox was a Reservist with 2nd Battalion, Nova Scotia Highlanders (now known as the Cape Breton Highlanders), and held the rank of corporal.
Standing court martial proceedings against Mr. Wilcox began on April 26, 2011, in Halifax. On November 16, 2011, he was found guilty of criminal negligence causing death and negligent performance of a military duty. A charge of manslaughter was stayed earlier in the court martial process.
A previous court martial against Mr. Wilcox, in relation to the same shooting incident, took place from November 24, 2008, to September 30, 2009. In that court martial, Mr. Wilcox was found guilty of the same two charges and sentenced to imprisonment for four years and dismissal from the Canadian Forces.
The findings of the original court martial were overturned in October 2010 following a successful appeal by Mr. Wilcox to the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada, which ordered a new trial.
Contacts:
Information: 1-866-377-0811/613-996-2353
www.forces.gc.ca