Marine sells medal for £9k after suing Ministry of Defence for £100k when they failed to diagnose his post-traumatic stress disorder
Navy chiefs ruled Lance Corporal Matthew Bispham had 'no mental health diagnosis' for five years, despite him having killed one insurgent and watched his pal die in combat
A HERO Royal Marine flogged his Military Cross for just £9,100 yesterday - months after suing the MoD for £100,000.
Lance Corporal Matthew Bispham, 33, won his MC for “unflinching courage” after facing down swarming Taliban fighters to protect his dying comrade.
But yesterday he sold the gong at auction after laying bare how bungling officials had left his life in tatters.
Matthew, of 42 Commando, developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the January 2007 firefight in Helmand, dubbed the Battle of Nipple Hill.
He had killed one insurgent in close combat and injured another despite watching close pal Tom Curry, 21, die at his side.
Last September we revealed how he had begun legal action against officials, saying Navy chiefs failed to diagnose him for five years.
His High Court writ told how in late 2009 he had told his Colour Sergeant he was “not right” and saw a civilian GP.
The doctor noted he showed “PTSD symptoms” and Matthew was given an appointment with a naval nurse in January 2010.
But she failed to follow a PTSD checklist, ruled there was “no MH (mental health) diagnosis” and instead referred him for an anger management course.
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The blunder left him taking anti-depressants, feeling suicidal and caused him to gamble “excessively”.
His lawyers also said his marriage suffered and his relationship with his children was “adversely affected”.
And in May 2015 Matthew went missing for three days before his car turned up dumped by a roadside, blood-stained and with signs of fire damage.
Matthew, from Shrewsbury, Shrops, was found close by, standing at a roadside and dressed only in his boxer shorts.
His PTSD was finally diagnosed and he began proper treatment.
Other symptoms he has suffered from include nightmares, fatigue and shouting out in his sleep.
The lawsuit claimed Matthew would have recovered had he been diagnosed earlier and his military career would “have been preserved”.
The status of the Marine’s lawsuit against the the MoD is not known.
Matthew auctioned his military cross off with Wright Marshall in Knutsford, Cheshire yesterday.
It had a guide price of £8,000 - £12,000.