A 65-year-old Garland man charged in a Christmas Eve hunting accident that left one dead pleaded guilty in Sampson County Superior Court earlier this week to unlawful use of firearms during hunting.

Sanford Walter Smith, of 170 West Fifth St., Garland, was given a 45-day suspended sentence for the offense and was placed under unsupervised probation for 24 months by Superior Court Judge Louis F. Foy Jr.

Foy also ordered Smith to pay a $500 fine and suspended his hunting privileges for a period of two years.

According to reports, Smith and 28-year-old Edward Allen Raynor Jr. were hunting Dec. 24 with a group on private property held by the South River Hunting Club and located four miles east of Garland

Medical examiner’s reports show Raynor, who died at the scene, was struck a total of seven times with buckshot, with two pellets each striking him in the head and the right ar. Another three pellets hit him in the back. Two of those shots pierced his lung, the other struck his heart.

Sampson County Medical Examiner Dr. Carl Barr said Raynor was not instantly killed and men with him immediately ran to their friend and attempted to resuscitate him.

Smith was initially charged in early January with unlawful use of firearms during hunting, a Class 1 misdemeanor.

To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or send e-mail to sisports@myclintonnc.com.