A FORMER soldier, who survived an IRA bomb blast, has admitted falsely claiming more than £89,000 in benefits since his medical discharge from the Army.

But David Sutherland is now on trial, for alleged fraudulent claims for another £42,000 which he has received since he was further injured in an accident while working as a civilian driver for Durham Police.

Durham Crown Court heard that Sutherland suffered 90 per cent hearing loss, in both ears, plus other blast injuries, including what is now known as post traumatic stress disorder (ptsd), as a result of an explosion at barracks he was visiting in Northern Ireland, five years into his Army service.

Two members of the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh Royal Regiment were killed in the IRA blast which wrecked the Sandes Soldiers’ Home, in Ballykinter, County Down, in October 1974.

Ian Mullarkey, prosecuting said, as a consequence, Sutherland was placed on restricted duties until his medical discharge from the Army in June 1992, when he was awarded a disability war pension, being classed as 100 per cent disabled.

He subsequently applied for, and was granted an unemployment supplement to his pension for former personnel unable to work full-time due to injuries suffered in the services.

Mr Mullarkey said this allowed only for work of up to 16 hours a week, which might be considered “therapeutic”.

“The problem arose, however, as in the same month, November 1993, he applied and began working as a civilian for Durham Police, on a full-time basis as a driver and handyman.

Mr Mullarkey said following a crash while driving on his police job, in 1996, Sutherland applied for supplementary benefit, on the basis that the accident brought about a relapse in his ptsd.

“The prosecution case is that is wasn’t his Army service that caused a worsening of the ptsd, rendering him unfit for work.

“What rendered him unfit for work was the road accident.”

Mr Mullarkey said although medically discharged from his police driving job, he went on to work as a store keeper, at Catterick Garrison, for several months in 2002, and then, from July 2005 as a full-time caretaker at Darlington College, while continuing to claim employability supplement on the basis he was unable to work due to his Army service.

He was medically retired from the college job in February 2012, following a fall at work.

“The prosecution say we have a man here who has given important service to his country, but since his discharge has sought to fiddle the system, continuing to claim benefits even though he has had full-time jobs, one after another.

“It was almost two decades of dishonesty and fraud.”

Sutherland, now 62, of Witton Close, Woodham Village, Newton Aycliffe, admits four counts relating to fraudulent claims, but denies two, covering the period from 1996 to January 2013.

The trial continues on Monday (July 27).