Soldier left so deaf from plane noise that he can’t hear doorbell sues MoD for £700k

A Parachute Regiment soldier who says he is left depressed and struggles to hear his microwave oven ‘ping’ after the noise of planes impairs his hearing is suing the Ministry of Defense for more than £700,000.

Former 3 Mercenary infantryman Cleophys Hoare, 34, claims he suffered life-changing hearing loss during his military service when he was exposed to “excessive and harmful” levels of noise while jumping.

Mr Hoare, from Gloucestershire, said he was unable to wear over-ear protection while wearing a helmet, having only earplugs to protect his hearing from the noise of the plane.

The injury, along with further hearing damage from gunfire in other roles, led to his medical discharge from the military in 2024, he says.

He is now suing the Ministry of Defense for more than £700,000 in damages at the High Court in London, accusing his superiors of failing to adequately protect him from hearing damage.

The previous paragraph says that he struggles to hear the “ding” of the doorbell, microwave oven or washing machine, but his hearing difficulties are also having a serious impact on his mental health.

The Ministry of Defense has agreed to pay 90 per cent of Mr Hoare’s damages once identified, but requires him to prove that his service was the cause of any hearing loss he suffered.

According to documents submitted for Mr Hoare’s claim, he served in the Third Battalion of the Parachute Regiment between 2014 and 2020, then in the Royal Logistic Corps until his discharge.

His lawyer, Sabrina Hartshorn, says he was exposed to gunfire from machine guns, assault rifles, grenades and flash grenades during his training at ITC Catterick.

Even though he used the standard hearing protection he was given, he always suffered from ringing in his ears when the gun was fired, which lasted for several days.

He says he carried out around 30 parachute jumps during deployment training while stationed at Merville Barracks in Colchester and RAF Brize Norton.

“The plaintiff was only given headphones that were placed inside his ears,” his lawyer says.

“Over-ear protectors were not compatible with the helmets used by parachute jumpers. It was thought that wearing a helmet was more important than proper hearing protection.

“The plaintiff was exposed to excessive and harmful noise caused by the sound of the engine of the plane in which the plaintiff was transported.

“Even when he was not jumping, the plaintiff was surrounded by the noise of aircraft such as the C130 Hercules or the Airbus A400M Atlas military aircraft.

“The plaintiff assumed at the time that the hearing protection was adequate given that it was standard issue and was provided to the plaintiff by the defendant.”

Mr Hoare was ultimately medically downgraded for hearing problems and was discharged from the Army as a corporal in 2024 after 10 years in the force.

Ms Hartshorn said Mr Hoare had bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which made it difficult for him to work in groups of three or more people.

“Loud noises bothered him and he didn’t like having many different sounds around at the same time,” she said.

“He was struggling to hear his three young sons when the television was on and the loud noise was stressing him out.

“Plaintiff had difficulty hearing the doorbell, could not hear the microwave oven buzz, and could not hear the sound of the washing machine ringing when it finished.”

He noted that a psychiatrist evaluated Mr. Hoare and diagnosed adjustment disorder while finding the transition to civilian life “very difficult.”

“She had lost confidence; she wasn’t sleeping well; she was sad and tearful most of the time; she rarely felt pleasure; she felt tired and lacked energy; she had difficulty concentrating,” he said.

According to the defense documents, the Department of Defense acknowledges that “the noise levels to which the plaintiff was exposed may have harmed the plaintiff’s hearing.”

But Defense Department lawyers want Mr. Hoare to prove the extent of his injuries and that they were actually caused by noise exposure in the Army.

“The plaintiff must prove that the defendant’s negligence/breach of duty caused or materially contributed to or caused any personal injury, loss or damage to the plaintiff,” said attorney Kam Jaspal.

The case recently reached court for hearing before Deputy Master Lorna Skinner, where the progress of the case towards trial was discussed.

Mr Hoare’s lawyer Sam Edwards told the judge his claim was already in excess of £700,000, although it had not yet been fully determined.

The case will return to court for a full hearing at a later date unless resolved out of court.