30 July 1998 Edition
Back issue: Bullseye hits the target
Donegal based Special Branchman, Hugh `Bullseye' Smith, was in court last week, explaining how he managed to shoot himself in the foot and a speeding motorist in the thigh - with the same bullet.
`Bullseye' was out late one night on the Derry/Letterkenny Road last November. When a car went past him, he automatically assumed it was the Border Fox (stands to reason, don't it) and gave chase.
After crashing into another passerby's car, the Special Branch succeeded in ``hemming in'' the first car. To Bullseye's amazement he was confronted by the owner of the car, Winston Boal (not the Border Fox at all), who demanded to know why he was being chased.
Bullseye, ``fearing for his life'', drew his revolver ``as a precaution''. The court heard Bullseye explain that Mr Boal had ``lunged'' at him and grabbed the barrel of the gun with his hand. He held his right foot at Mr Boal's thigh to push him away and ``a shot was discharged''.
``I felt a sharp pain in my right foot,'' the detective told the court. He later realised that he had shot Mr Boal as well and charged him with assault. The assault charge was thrown out of court last week by Judge McMenamin, but Mr Boal was fined £500 for ``dangerous driving''.
`Bullseye' was out late one night on the Derry/Letterkenny Road last November. When a car went past him, he automatically assumed it was the Border Fox (stands to reason, don't it) and gave chase.
After crashing into another passerby's car, the Special Branch succeeded in ``hemming in'' the first car. To Bullseye's amazement he was confronted by the owner of the car, Winston Boal (not the Border Fox at all), who demanded to know why he was being chased.
Bullseye, ``fearing for his life'', drew his revolver ``as a precaution''. The court heard Bullseye explain that Mr Boal had ``lunged'' at him and grabbed the barrel of the gun with his hand. He held his right foot at Mr Boal's thigh to push him away and ``a shot was discharged''.
``I felt a sharp pain in my right foot,'' the detective told the court. He later realised that he had shot Mr Boal as well and charged him with assault. The assault charge was thrown out of court last week by Judge McMenamin, but Mr Boal was fined £500 for ``dangerous driving''.