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''.
Phoblacht 28 July 1988
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)