Trainee soldier guilty of attempted murder
A trainee soldier who tried to stab a colleague has been found guilty of attempted murder.
Pte James Farrell, 18, had stabbed his knife into the bed of another trainee at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.
He told a court martial his actions had been prompted by bullying and he had not intended any harm.
Farrell had denied attempted murder but was convicted by a military board at Colchester Garrison, Essex. He will be sentenced on 20 March.
Prosecutors told the board that Farrell had aimed the blow at Rifleman Curtis Horbury's head but he had rolled out of the way on the evening of 13 November.
Farrell said he had just wanted to scare his colleague, who was the "ringleader" of a group of trainees he said were bullying him.
He claimed that after starting his training at Catterick in September 2016 he had been verbally abused and had been struck "a few times".
On the day of the attack, he had been criticised for wearing the wrong uniform on Remembrance Sunday and was asked questions about his family background.
He told the board he had initially intended to punch Rifleman Horbury but "lost it" and stabbed the bed with his knife.
Rifleman Horbury, who was texting on his bed, said he believed the knife would have hit his head had he not moved out of the way.