A PARATROOPER has won £200,000 damages from the Ministry of Defence after he was injured by an exploding grenade.

Ian Bannister was left mentally and physically scarred by the incident, on a training course in the Dolomite mountains in northern Italy.

Ian, 29, suffered severe cuts to his face and body, damaged his hearing, and suffered symptoms of schizophrenia.

He was injured soon after leaving his home in Fennel Crescent, Broadfield, Crawley, to join the course.

Ian, a former judo champion, today told how Army chiefs had refused to let him know who threw the grenade which injured him.

He said: "I have never been told who threw that grenade.

"That is one thing that upset me. The incident was filmed but they would not tell me."

Ian, now unemployed, accepted the compensation offer just before the start of a claims hearing expected to last several days.

The Ministry initially denied blame for the 1989 accident but accepted liability in 1994, the High Court heard.

Ian, who now lives in Wandsworth, London, told the Argus after the hearing: "I need to invest the money properly.

"Since 1992 I haven't been able to find employment or follow anything through properly.

"I had hoped to achieve goals but I was not able to because I was discharged from the Army.

hrapnel

"In the light of everything, I see the settlement as a compromise. They agreed to pay £200,000 and my costs, which are about £145,000."

The accident happened when Ian, a private, was training with the Second Battalion of the Parachute Regiment.

The High Court heard that a grenade exploded too close and peppered him with shrapnel.

At the time the British troops were training with the Italian army.

Ian said: "Since then, my life has been nothing of substance. I went through quite a lot of problems, including post traumatic stress disorder and various other mental problems."

Ian's counsel, John Cherry QC, said the main issue was the symptoms of schizophrenia from which Ian has suffered.

He said that had the issue been contested, the hearing would have taken some days.

Mr Justice Gage said: "I am sure the parties have been well advised to reach a settlement."

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