Calgary reservist Maj. Darryl Watts is due back in front of a military tribunal on Monday where sentencing for his conviction in a friendly fire death in Afghanistan is expected to begin.
A military tribunal found Watts guilty of two counts of negligent performance of duty and unlawfully causing bodily harm back on December 4, 2012.
He was found not guilty of the more serious charges of manslaughter and two counts of breach of duty.
Major Watts held the rank of Captain and was the Officer in Charge of Practice on February 12, 2010 when a range training incident killed Corporal Joshua Baker, 24, and injured Bombadier Dan Scott, Sergeant Michael Mark McKay, Master Corporal William Pylypow and Corporal Wolfgang Brettner.
Baker died and the other soldiers were injured when a Claymore mine exploded, peppering their platoon with 700 steel balls.
There are no minimum sentences for any of the charges Major Watts faced but the maximum sentence for manslaughter and breach of duty of care reference explosive causing death is imprisonment for life.
Sentences for the other charges are as follows:
- The maximum punishment for breach of duty of care reference explosive causing bodily harm is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years.
- The maximum punishment for unlawfully causing bodily harm is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years.
- The maximum punishment for negligent performance of a military duty is dismissal with disgrace from Her Majesty’s service.
Afghanistan was the first Canadian Forces overseas deployment for Major Watts.
