Record damages for parachute soldier

The case was heard at the Court of Session

A former soldier who was badly injured during a display jump with the Army's Golden Lions parachute team has been awarded record damages.

Kenneth Leeder, who was a lance corporal in the Royal Scots, was badly injured after the order to jump was given at the wrong stage.

The award of more than £620,000 is believed to be the highest ever granted by a civil jury in Scotland.

Mr Leeder, 31, from Edinburgh, suffered fractured vertebrae and a broken leg and foot after the jump.

Kenneth Leeder: Landed on concrete

After undergoing surgery he was in a wheelchair for months before he managed to walk again, although he still has to use a stick.

He told a jury at the Court of Session in Edinburgh that he was still "constantly in pain".

He takes up to 10 tablets a day to cope with his pain and had to abandon studies in business administration at Edinburgh's Napier University because of his continued suffering.

Mr Leeder was taking part in a parachute jump as a member of the Golden Lions in June 1998 at Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy, Fife, when the accident happened.

Experienced parachutist

The jump master on board their plane threw out a wind drift indicator to get the correct position for the men to jump.

The aircraft flew out over the sea in order to circle round to the drop point but the order was given for the soldiers to jump while the plane was still over the water.

Mr Leeder, an experienced parachutist who had completed more than 300 drops, was the third man out.

I came straight down and landed on concrete. I was shouting and swearing in pain from my back. I couldn't feel my legs

Kenneth Leeder

He had to fight strong winds to get over land and was forced to take avoiding action to stop him hitting trees.

When he was about 30ft or 40ft above ground the canopy of his parachute collapsed and he plunged down.

"I came straight down and landed on concrete. I was shouting and swearing in pain from my back. I couldn't feel my legs," he said.

Surgeons at Edinburgh's Western General Hospital operated to stabilise his back and relieve pressure on the nerves in his spine.

Medically discharged

They found some nerve roots were damaged beyond repair.

Mr Leeder, who joined the Army from school at 16, was medically discharged in September 1999.

He now lives in accommodation for disabled ex-servicemen.

The Ministry of Defence admitted liability but the amount to be paid was disputed.

The jury decided to award him £624,188 to cover his pain, suffering and loss of earnings.