Tri-Service
Paralysed Royal Marine "Let Down By MoD"
The wife of a Royal Marine from Wales who was left paralysed after diving into shallow water in Grand Canaria claims they've been let down by the Ministry of Defence.
Last week a court ruled that the MoD was not liable for compensation because Spencer Vaughan's accident happened during time off from a training exercise.
Mrs Vaughan told the BBC: "The main thing he will need is a full medical pension because he can't go out now and work," she said.
"He's a tetraplegic so he can't move his legs or core. He's got no hand function so, putting socks on, simple day-to-day tasks are a struggle.
"At the moment he's still employed, but... once his operations have finished he will no longer be employed. We don't know what we'll do for money then."
"He needs somebody with him around the clock. He's very expensive now, just to survive.
"Everybody that we've spoken to, every military personnel, believes that while you're on exercise you're on duty 24/7 and I want to make people aware that isn't the case.
"Before he went to Gran Canaria, he was meant to be given some joining instructions and those instructions would have told him to take out travel insurance."
An MoD spokesman, meanwhile, said: "Whilst we have the utmost sympathy for Mr Vaughan, the MoD is not responsible for the injuries he sustained following his tragic accident and in those circumstances we cannot pay damages from public funds."
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