Overview

• O’Connell’s claim, originally filed for £2.4 million and later reduced to £1.74 million, was found to be fundamentally dishonest by Mr Justice Christopher Kennedy KC.
• The judge accepted there were serious disabling effects for a time after the 2015 fall but concluded later evidence showed normal or near normal left‑arm function.
• Covert footage captured her mucking out and leading horses, driving a manual horse box, chopping carrots and pulling a trolley, contradicting reports of daily‑living limitations.
• The court accepted her boots were oversized yet ruled they did not cause the accident, found the horse suitable for a novice, and rejected arguments that a serious injury was foreseeable.
• MoD lawyers questioned her para‑athletics classification as she competed in the T46 category, and although the ruling focused on functional evidence, O’Connell now likely faces a substantial costs bill.