Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Doctor fined for firing crossbow near children

Updated at 5:40 pm on 24 May 2012

A doctor who fired a crossbow bolt that landed near three children has been convicted and fined $1000 in Tauranga District Court.

Nigel Kim, 50, fired a high-powered crossbow towards a possum while on a deer hunting trip with his son in the Kaimai Mamaku Forest.

The arrow missed its target and lodged in a tree stump three metres from a tent in which children lay sleeping.

In sentencing, the judge said the offending was a clear breach of the law designed specifically to promote and maintain public safety.

The Department of Conservation says hunting in the dark is prohibited and it will take action against hunters who don't obey their permits and put people at risk.

The Deerstalker's Association's president, Tim McCarthy, says it's good to see the department backing up what it's saying at last.

He says hunters may comply more with their permit conditions if they believe there's a penalty involved by not following the rules.

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