Atfield, Kelvyn John
Deceased
Kelvin John Atfield
Demographics
38y, male
Date of death
2010-02-18
Finding date
2012-09-04
Cause of death
Gunshot wound to the head - bullet entered right temporal bone at 40 degree downward angle, travelled through parietal and temporal lobes, and destroyed the pons (instantaneously fatal)
AI-generated summary
Kelvin Atfield died from an instantly fatal gunshot wound to the head when struck by a bullet fired by his nephew Matthew Felhaber during a kangaroo hunting expedition on Atfield's rural Queensland property. The pair had a longstanding practice of hunting together with established safety protocols: Atfield directed Felhaber to a static shooting position aimed at a designated zone, while Atfield would flush kangaroos from cover into that zone. On 18 February 2010, Atfield unilaterally deviated from this routine by moving into the shooting zone without notifying Felhaber or establishing contact. Felhaber fired four shots at kangaroos within the designated zone, unaware his uncle had entered the area. Long grass and terrain prevented visibility. The coroner found no criminal negligence, determining Felhaber could not have foreseen Atfield's departure from the established and repeatedly emphasised safety protocol. No AHPRA-type referral applied as Felhaber was an unlicensed trainee under his uncle's supervision, not a health professional.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Contributing factors
- Deceased unilaterally deviated from established and unchanging safety protocol by moving into the designated shooting zone without notifying his nephew
- Long grass on the property restricted visibility between shooter and deceased
- Terrain and grass prevented the shooter from seeing the deceased's position
- Deceased positioned in area 137 metres from shooting position on lower elevation near river fenceline
- Prolonged rainy weather had resulted in longer than usual grass coverage
- Communication failure - deceased did not make contact with shooter before changing position
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