
A team from Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd put on their...
A summary of the ruling by the Court of Appeal in the recent case of Mansfield v Mansfield (2011).A summary of the ruling by the Court of Appeal...
Injured Cyclists could have their compensation reduced if they choose not to wear a helmet.A summary of the ruling by the High Court in...
Army training instructors Ex-Corporal Stuart Pagett and Corporal Christopher Jakeman were found guilty of mistreating soldiers during training between October 2007 and January 2008.
A court martial was told that Pagett and Jakeman attacked three soldiers for making mistakes during their training at Catterick, North Yorkshire.
Pagett, 25, was fined £1,200 after he was convicted of attacking Rifleman Derek Antwi-Boasiako in a toilet after the young soldier tapped him on the shoulder, mistakenly believing him to be a fellow recruit. He was also found guilty of kicking ex-Rifleman Thomas Pearson in the ribs and head for falling behind in a steeplechase exercise.
Jakeman, 28, of 2nd Battalion The Rifles, was fined £600 after he was convicted of pushing Mr Pearson's head against a doorframe.
Assistant Judge Advocate General Paul Camp said he was satisfied the incidents were not "systematic bullying" but addressing Jakeman, said: "We think you, Cpl Jakeman, got frustrated. You broke well-known rules and you abused your position as an instructor.
"We want to make it clear that this kind of conduct is not acceptable within the Army and particularly not within a training environment when there is a particularly high duty of care to these young and often vulnerable soldiers."
Jakeman had "difficulty coming to terms with a young man who was not making the maximum of effort", knowing that the recruits he was training would soon be deployed to Afghanistan, where "slackness might result in their death or injury, or the death or injury of others" said Judge Camp.