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news<br />
A lawyer who has spent<br />
more than a decade<br />
hounding British soldiers<br />
has been charged by his<br />
professional body over his<br />
firm’s role in making<br />
baseless claims against<br />
troops. Phil Shiner, who<br />
made his name suing the<br />
UK Government at<br />
Chef dies in Falklands tragedy<br />
An RAF chef who collapsed<br />
and died from a sudden brain<br />
haemorrhage while on duty<br />
in the Falklands was due to<br />
receive a medal from the<br />
Queen. Warrant Officer Ian<br />
Goddard, 52, of Greylees,<br />
was only six days away from<br />
returning home from a fourmonth<br />
detachment to <strong>The</strong><br />
Falkland Islands when the<br />
tragedy happened. It was<br />
during an annual event<br />
where the senior ranks in the<br />
catering section (known as<br />
the Top Cats) serve the lower<br />
ranks (known as <strong>The</strong><br />
Kittens). Wife Louise, 50,<br />
said: “It was very sudden.<br />
He just took poorly and died.<br />
“I was due to pick him up<br />
Lawyer who hounded troops to be<br />
struck off<br />
from RAF Brize <strong>No</strong>rton in<br />
six days.” A father and<br />
grandfather, he leaves<br />
children Sian, Katherine and<br />
Alex, son-in-law Darren and<br />
grandchildren Nicole and<br />
Hollie. <strong>The</strong>y have lived in<br />
the Sleaford area for 15<br />
years, while Ian continued to<br />
taxpayers’ expense, is<br />
fighting a battle to keep the<br />
allegations secret. He wants<br />
a forthcoming hearing to be<br />
held behind closed doors<br />
and details of the case<br />
against him kept secret on<br />
the grounds of ill health.<br />
Read the full story.<br />
travel with the military. His<br />
funeral service took place on<br />
Monday at St Denys’<br />
Church, Sleaford, followed<br />
by private cremation at<br />
Lincoln, before a celebration<br />
of his life at the Sergeant<br />
and Warrant Officers’ Mess<br />
at Coningsby. Read more.<br />
Thieves steal medal from blind veteran<br />
A blind World War Two veteran has had three medals stolen<br />
from his home in south London after he was tricked by callous<br />
thieves who pretended to be tree surgeons. Police in Merton<br />
said the 97-year-old former soldier received a knock on his<br />
door from two men who told him they were there to cut trees<br />
in his garden and entered his home. When the men left the<br />
house, the victim discovered they had gone upstairs and<br />
swiped three of his five medals awarded to him from World<br />
War Two. Police said the medals, which have his 953320<br />
service number on the ridge, were a 1939-1945 Star, a defence<br />
medal and 1939-45 War Medal. Police said anyone with<br />
information about the medals should contact them on 101.<br />
Queen to rescind<br />
medal after<br />
bravery report<br />
was exaggerated<br />
An army officer is to be<br />
stripped of his gallantry<br />
medal after it was revealed<br />
that senior officers had<br />
exaggerated his bravery.<br />
Captain William Boreham,<br />
35, was awarded the Military<br />
Cross for rescuing an injured<br />
comrade trapped in a deadly<br />
Afghanistan minefield.<br />
In his citation, senior officers<br />
claimed the patrol had come<br />
under heavy fire from the<br />
Taliban as they carried out<br />
the rescue. But, after a<br />
complaint from a different<br />
regiment’s soldiers who had<br />
been on the patrol, it was<br />
found there was no enemy<br />
fire. <strong>No</strong>w senior officers<br />
may face disciplinary action.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is no suggestion Capt<br />
Boreham, of Nantwich,<br />
Cheshire, was involved in<br />
writing the misleading report<br />
or gave inaccurate<br />
information about the<br />
September 2012 incident.<br />
This week the Queen will<br />
rescind his Military Cross –<br />
the third highest gallantry<br />
award. It is understood to be<br />
only the second time the<br />
Queen has withdrawn a<br />
bravery award.<br />
Capt Boreham of <strong>The</strong> 1st<br />
Battalion, the Duke of<br />
Lancaster’s Regiment, had<br />
just arrived in Afghanistan<br />
when he joined King’s Royal<br />
Hussars (KRH) troops on a<br />
patrol in Helmand province.<br />
While it was customary for<br />
Task Force commanders to<br />
sign off citations, the<br />
Ministry of Defence insists<br />
Maj Gen Bruce was ‘not part<br />
of the current investigation’.<br />
Based on the report, the<br />
Army’s honours and awards<br />
committee agreed to award<br />
the Military Cross. A source<br />
said: ‘At some stage in the<br />
handling of Capt Boreham’s<br />
citation it appears that details<br />
about the Taliban attacking<br />
British troops with rockets<br />
and machine-gun fire were<br />
added. Either there was an<br />
innocent mix-up, or<br />
somebody “sexed up” the<br />
citation to give it more<br />
impact.’ <strong>The</strong> MOD has<br />
confirmed that there is an<br />
investigation ongoing.<br />
| 4 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
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