Soldier's mother told not to see blast victim

The mother of a soldier who lost a leg in an explosion in Afghanistan was ordered not to contact her son when she appeared in court charged with taking almost £11,000 of his compensation money.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Apr 2010, 23:35 BST
Updated 21st Apr 2010, 23:35 BST

Private Matt Woollard, of 1 Royal Anglian, received a payout of around 200,000 after stepping on a landmine in Helmand Province in May 2007.

His mother, Angela Woollard, 43, from Southend, Essex, was arrested in September and appeared at Southend Magistrates' Court yesterday.

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She arrived at court in a wheelchair, having suffered a broken leg.

Woollard was charged with fraud by abuse of position between July 22, 2007, and February 10, 2008. It was alleged that she took 10,891 of her son's money while acting as his power of attorney.

Magistrates bailed Woollard on condition that she did not contact Pte Woollard or other witnesses in the case.

In 2007 Pte Woollard, then 18, recalled the "amazingly strong" blast which tore off his right leg below the knee.

"I remember everything," he told the Southend Echo.

"The blast was so amazingly strong. It was just a loud, loud bang – more like a crack – and there was ringing in my ears afterwards for ages."

Related topics:AfghanistanSouthendEssex