Court hears woman told police she shot her partner

A court has heard a woman told police officers she had shot her partner with an air gun in front of three of his children at home in Galashiels.

Brian Kowbel, 40, died in hospital from a metal pellet to his heart in February 2023.

Simone Ramage, 40, has been deemed unfit to stand trial for health reasons.

The evidence emerged on the first day of the examination of facts, which is held when a person is deemed unfit for trial.

In a recorded interview played in court, Kowbel's daughter, Murren, told officers Ramage had been shooting targets out their lounge doors while she and two of his other children were inside eating pizza.

They had all been laughing and joking and she said Ramage had an idea to scare her father.

The gun went off as he came out the kitchen and his daughter said they thought he had been hit in the arm - but he had been shot in the chest.

"I don't blame her," she said.

"She's going to be blaming herself. It was an accident. We want her to know she's not to blame."

A judge found Ramage unfit to stand trial after a hearing earlier this year after it was concluded the accused was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The finding could not be reported until today due to legal reasons.

Sheriff John Morris KC is presiding over the examination of facts, which is heard without a jury.

He will hear evidence about the circumstances surrounding the death and determine whether Ramage - whose attendance was excused - was responsible for causing Kowbel to lose his life.

In the video recording of Kowbel's daughter speaking to investigators she said she thought Ramage had wanted to "give him a fright" and had meant to "shoot past him".

After he was hit, the court heard Ramage dialled 999 and performed CPR while covered in blood.

At the start of proceedings, Sheriff Morris was given a joint minute containing statements about the evidence which prosecutor Erin Campbell and defence advocate Mark Stewart KC agreed were uncontroversial and agreed as being correct.

It was agreed that the cause of Kowbel's death was a "gunshot injury" to his chest.

A legal document known as indictment detailed the charges against Ramage.

Prosecutors claim she breached firearms laws by possessing an air rifle without a firearms certificate.

A second charge alleges she "culpably and recklessly" discharged an air rifle by firing it repeatedly towards a fence "bordering a car park" on 17 February 2023.

Prosecutors also claim that on the same date Ramage assaulted Kowbel by discharging an air rifle at him and shooting him where he was "so severely injured" that he later died at Borders General Hospital in Melrose.

The hearing continues on Thursday.