Officer pleads guilty in 2010 training death in Afghanistan

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Major Christopher Lunney waits outside the court for the first day of hearings in his general court martial in Gatineau, Que., on Thursday, September 13, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

GATINEAU, Que. – A teary military officer has pleaded guilty to negligent performance of duty over a 2010 training incident that killed a reservist and injured four others in Afghanistan.

Four other charges were dropped by a military prosecutor.

As Maj. Christopher Lunney took the stand at his court martial to offer an apology, he had to stop several times to compose himself.

Cpl. Josh Baker died on a training range northeast of Kandahar and four others were wounded in February 2010.

An uncontested statement of facts entered at Lunney’s trial says he failed to ensure a properly qualified officer was in charge of the exercise that day.

Two other soldiers still face courts martial on charges of manslaughter in relation to Cpl. Baker’s death.

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