A SOLDIER who accidentally shot a pigeon while testing his air rifle’s sights has been given a conditional discharge after a court heard he would have received a police caution had he not gone on duty in Afghanistan.

Police had originally intended to deal with Graeme Lee Brown themselves but the six month deadline for receiving a caution passed as the 20-year-old was uncontactable in Afghanistan.

Brown, 20, instead had to appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court where he admitted firing an air weapon beyond his own premises.

Prosecutor Joanne Hesse said neighbours of Brown heard a thudding noise against their fence and saw him in his conservatory with a Benjamin Nitro Power Air Rifle on August 23 last year.

The court heard that the neighbours also found a pigeon with a shot wing on their driveway and contacted police.

Brown, of Langmere in Spennymoor, told police he had been zeroing his sights and had fired six or seven shots to test the gun, Ms Hesse said.

She said he admitted targeting the bird for one shot but did not know he had hit it.

Magistrates, who would normally give a stronger penalty for this type of offence, gave Brown a conditional discharge for six months because of his “exceptional circumstances of being uncontactable in Afghanistan”.

He must also pay £85 costs and magistrates ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the air rifle.