Acquittal for arrow attack

Brother said he acted in self defence

A BRIDGEWATER man who fired an arrow at has brother has been acquitted of a wounding charge.

A Supreme Court jury in Hobart yesterday returned a not-guilty verdict after almost 3½ hours of deliberations.

Timothy Owen Adams, 36, argued he was acting in self defence when he fired the arrow from a compound bow at his brother Justin Pearce on February 24 last year.

Acting Justice David Porter told the jurors that to be satisfied Mr Adams acted in self defence, they needed to be satisfied he genuinely believed he was acting in defence of himself and the force used was reasonable in the circumstances.

The jurors returned a majority verdict, requiring at least 10 of the 12 to agree on it.

During the trial, which started on Tuesday, the jury heard Mr Adams and Mr Pearce each had a caravan at their father’s Bridgewater property.

Mr Pearce said he was “iced off his head” on February 24 and was angry with his father and Mr Adams for wanting to move his caravan to the Hobart showgrounds.

Mr Adams’s lawyer, Craig Rainbird, told the jury Mr Pearce was acting irrationally on the afternoon, and he asked the jurors to consider the weapons Mr Pearce possessed and threats he had made.

Mr Pearce agreed with Mr Rainbird he was “in a rage” on February 24, and, in addition to ice, he had consumed cannabis and alcohol.

The jury also heard Mr Pearce had weapons, including two sticks with knives attached and a compound bow of his own.

Mr Adams’s former partner Eloise Calais, who was at the property when the brothers were fighting, told the jury during the trial she was fearing for her children’s safety because of Mr Pearce’s behaviour.