A former soldier turned gold medal-winning para-athlete could be jailed after being found to have made a 'fundamentally dishonest' disability claim against the Ministry of Defence. Debbie O'Connell, 37, broke her collarbone in four places while training with the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, in 2015. She later launched a compensation claim for up to £2.4 million, alleging the accident left her left arm almost useless.
In September 2018, O'Connell began legal action against the MoD, initially seeking £2.4 million but later reducing the claim to £1.74 million. However, a High Court judge threw out the case last year, ruling that her evidence about ongoing pain 'must be dishonest' after covert video footage showed her leading a horse and chopping vegetables. Judge Christopher Kennedy KC ordered her to pay costs exceeding £200,000.
The MoD subsequently applied to have O'Connell committed to prison for contempt of court, accusing her of lying about the extent of her disability. At a hearing last week, her lawyers argued the bid should be blocked, saying she had already 'suffered enough'. But Mr Justice Coppel allowed the contempt case to proceed, stating it was in the 'public interest' to pursue committal when claims are 'prosecuted on a false basis'.
During the original trial, the MoD alleged O'Connell had exaggerated her injuries while 'dishonestly' pursuing a para-athletics career in the T46 category, which is for competitors with limb impairments comparable to a unilateral above-elbow amputation. Barrister Niazi Fetto KC said she had 'relied upon her dishonest pursuit of a para-athletics career in the knowledge that her condition does not fall within the T46 category'. O'Connell denied dishonesty, insisting her claim was genuine and that she had simply 'described my condition' when classified.
O'Connell, from Lincoln, won gold medals for cycling at the 2018 Invictus Games and also competed as a sprinter and in CrossFit. In his judgment, Judge Kennedy noted that by 2022, she was still reporting needing assistance with cutting food and preparing hot drinks, yet the surveillance footage showed 'normal or near normal function' in her left upper limb. He added that she had 'persisted with her dishonesty over a long period' and that her attempts to conceal the truth had been 'sophisticated'.
