A former Royal Horse Artillery gunner who sued the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after she fell off a horse and sustained a career-ending shoulder injury brought a “fundamentally dishonest” claim, a judge at the High Court has ruled. Debbie O’Connell joined the regiment in October 2014, and after being assigned to the King’s Troop and sent to Woolwich in July 2015, she was identified as needing more riding lessons.

On September 4 that year, while on a lesson with two other recruits, she turned the horse she was riding, Jazz, to go from right to left when the horse bucked and Ms O’Connell fell to the ground, injuring her left shoulder. Ms O’Connell blamed the MoD for the accident, saying she was not provided with appropriate equipment, including properly fitting riding boots, and that Jazz w

See Full Page