Soldier given drug for malaria sues State

A Cork soldier who was given the anti-malarial drug, Lariam, for an overseas tour of duty in Chad, has sued the State in the High Court.

Father-of-three, Anthony Cole, who served for 33 years in the Defence Forces, has claimed he has not felt ‘normal’ since the five months of duty in 2009, and that he suffers headaches, nightmares, mood swings, and irritability.

His counsel, Gerry Healy, SC, said Mr Cole, who was based mainly at Collins Barracks, Cork, loved the army, but got an adverse reaction to the medical treatment given by the Defence Forces to protect him from malaria in Chad, in equatorial Africa.