Ministry of Defence claim

A former army corporal from Northumberland has received compensation for a serious shoulder injury sustained after he was told to 'act like a psycho' during a training exercise.

Daniel Brosnan, 34, was serving in Northern Ireland in with the Second Battalion Royal Fusiliers and dislocated his shoulder in a riot control training exercise at a police facility in November 2003.

During the drill, Mr Brosnan was put in a cell and told to pretend he had been drinking and to act like a psycho, while the rest of his company took turns to enter the cell in groups of three and restrain him.

Mr Brosnan feared he had broken his arm after he felt it 'pop' when members of his company jumped on him but the exercise was allowed to continue despite Mr Brosnan asking for it to be halted and the injury was made worse when he was later kicked in the same arm.

Mr Brosnan, from Blyth, was medically discharged from the Army as a result of his injury, which required several operations and extensive physiotherapy, while he still experiences symptoms.

Now, thanks to help from leading personal injury law firm Irwin Mitchell, Mr Brosnan has been awarded £25,000 in compensation.

His solicitor Matthew Garson, from Irwin Mitchell, said: "We are delighted with the outcome of the case but disappointed it had to go to court before liability was accepted by the Ministry of Defence.

"The level of compensation reflects the fact that Mr Brosnan's livelihood has been affected by this injury. It was a particularly bad dislocation to his dominant right shoulder – he was discharged by the Ministry of Defence as a result and his choice of future employment will now be narrower.

"Mr Brosnan was taking part in a routine training exercise but was given no protective clothing and only minimal and inappropriate protective equipment, while the exercise was allowed to continue even after he was injured. All employers – especially those in high-risk areas such as the forces, should provide the correct equipment and follow exemplary safety procedures, even if it is only part of a training exercise."