Ex-Royal Marine forced to resign after gunshots ruined his hearing won more than £700,000 in compensation

A FORMER Royal Marine who was forced to resign after the sound of gunshots ruined his hearing has been awarded more than £700,000 in compensation.

James Barry, 34, joined as Commando in 2013 and hoped to eventually join the Special Boat Service.

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But he was medically discharged in 2017 after suffering hearing loss.

Mr Barry said he was given earmuffs to be used during live fire drills but they were impractical.

And alternative foam ear tips that were provided to him failed to effectively block noise and often fell out.

Mr Barry, now a truck driver, sued the Department of Defense for losing his military career and developing hearing loss and chronic tinnitus.

The Ministry of Defense accepted primary liability but claimed Mr Barry, from Nottingham, was partly to blame for his failure to use the hearing protection provided.

But yesterday in the High Court in London, Mr Justice Johnson threw out that argument, calling the defense attorneys “inadequate and incompatible with other equipment”.

He awarded £713,716 in damages for pain, suffering and loss of comfort.