Police Trainee Sues after Fainting on Parade
A police trainee who fainted whilst on parade is suing the Police Service of Northern Ireland, it is claimed.
Sharon Spence was on a twenty-week training course to become a police employee, when the incident happened on a morning drill at the PSNI’s training complex in Garnersville, May 2006.
She was stood on parade when she fainted and fell to the ground. She landed on her chin and suffered serious injury. Her jaw was broken in the impact and she also lost some teeth. The injuries are said to have made other recruits queasy at their sight.
UTV reports that she is now making a personal injury claim against the Police Service of Northern Ireland, with the case currently going before a court. The PSNI are contesting the case, with their team arguing that Ms Spence would not have fainted had she eaten before the parade. Ms Spence argues that she had eaten the night before, and was not told to eat before the parade despite the PSNI claims that every recruit is told this.
Ms Spence has also asserted that she was repeatedly wiggling her toes as instructed to increase circulation whilst she was stood stationary.
The case is ongoing.
