Insult to injury

[Gob]

A British Army officer accused of shooting another soldier in a friendly-fire incident has been secretly paid £500,000 in compensation for stress – ten times the sum received by his comrade whose leg was amputated after the tragic accident.



Colour Sergeant Albert Thomson’s life was devastated when his left leg was torn apart by 15 machine-gun rounds fired at close range while he was on patrol in southern Iraq.

Battlefield surgeons removed his leg as they worked desperately to save his life. He received a one-off payment of £50,000 for losing a lower limb, in line with Army tariffs for frontline injuries.

But by contrast, The Mail on Sunday can reveal the officer accused of firing the weapon, Captain Thomas ‘Tam’ Henderson, 48, has been awarded £500,000 in an out-of-court settlement after suing the Ministry of Defence for stress suffered following the blunder in March 2003.

Last night, Shadow Defence Minister Kevan Jones described the discrepancy between the payment as ‘an injustice’.

He said: ‘It can’t be right that a soldier who was accused of shooting a colleague gets ten times more than the soldier who had his leg ripped off. It is also disappointing that this settlement was reached in secret. The MoD should publish all the evidence in this case.’

He’s done well, hasn’t he? He shot me, not on purpose obviously, but he was the main cause of it.

When told about Capt Henderson’s payment last night, CSgt Thomson, 47, said: ‘He’s done well, hasn’t he? He shot me, not on purpose obviously, but he was the main cause of it.’

[rubato]

So he isn't any worse off, but now he's mad because the the other guy got something.


That wound is self-inflicted.


yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

A kinder, better American.

[wesw]

hmmmm.....

I ve done lots of things that hurt other people....

and it really bothers me....

cha ching!!!!!

I m gonna be rich!!!!