THE Royal Court yesterday found a man guilty of unlawfully wounding a teenager by shooting him with an air rifle from the lounge window of his flat.

But Thomas Hicks, 26, was cleared of the more serious charge of unlawfully wounding Dexter Crowson with intent. Hicks had denied both counts. The jurats took about 30 minutes to reach their verdict.

Senior Jurat David Lowe said the bench had been unanimous in finding Hicks not guilty of the first charge, but had reached a 9-1 majority decision on the defendant’s guilt to the second offence.

Mr Crowson was preparing to go for a swim off Abraham’s Bosom, St Sampson’s Harbour, one evening in August 2007 when Hicks fired the gun. Mr Crowson was taken to hospital where a pellet from Mr Hicks’s .22 air rifle was removed from just above his eyes.

Hicks maintained his right to silence throughout the trial.

Judge Russell Finch adjourned sentencing to enable a social inquiry report to be prepared. Hicks is expected to be sentenced between 5 and 8 December. He was bailed on condition that he does not contact Mr Crowson.