The Armed Forces of Malta has been ordered to pay almost €180,000 by way of compensation to the family of a young soldier who died as a result of a gruelling training exercise at Chadwick Lakes 12 years ago. Failures by the army “exceeded by far” those of the victim, who was attributed 20% of the blame for the fatal episode, the court decided. The remaining 80% was attributable solely to the AFM which was to compensate the Psaila family €178,500 by way of damages for the incident. The sum was awarded to the parents and brother of gunner Matthew Psaila, the 19-year-old soldier who had joined the army in 2008, before moving on to more intensive training as an infantry officer destined to join the army’s ‘elite’ arm.