Thursday 4 August 2022 10:52 AM King's Troop soldier who smashed her collarbone falling off a horse sues Army ... trends now
A former elite soldier who smashed her collarbone falling from an army horse is bringing a £2.5m compensation claim against the MoD who have accused her of faking it.
Debbie O'Connell - who served as a gunner in the Royal Horse Artillery - says she fell when her mount kicked out and she was thrown off during training for ceremonial duties in 2015.
The former King's Troop squadron member shattered her left collarbone in four places, leading to massive nerve damage and a virtually useless left arm.
She left the Army and reinvented herself as a para-athlete wining two gold medals at the Invictus Games after her accident.
The 34-year-old, from Lincoln, is now fighting for £2.5m in damages, claiming her injuries wrecked her military career and left her struggling with chronic pain and lasting disabilities.
But MoD lawyers are accusing her of 'fundamental dishonesty' and say they have secret surveillance video taken by a private investigator which will send her claim 'up in a puff of smoke'.
Debbie O'Connell (pictured competing in the Women's 1500m at the Invictus Games Sydney 2018) - who served as a gunner in the Royal Horse Artillery - says she fell when her mount kicked out and she was thrown off during training for ceremonial duties in 2015
Ms O'Connell (pictured at the Road Cycling Time Trials event at the Invictus Games, in Sydney) left the Army and reinvented herself as a para-athlete wining two gold medals at the Invictus Games after her accident
Ms O'Connell, from Lincoln, is fighting for £2.5m in damages, claiming her injuries wrecked her military career and left her struggling with chronic pain and lasting disabilities
The MoD is vigorously disputing her £2.5m compensation bid, and has hired a private investigator to take secret video footage which they say will prove she has faked part of her claim.
Niazi Fetto, for the MoD,
