Soldier’s Family Contends Death Was Preventable After Inquest Identifies Missed Aid Opportunities

The relatives of a soldier who died by suicide have asserted that his death “could have been prevented,” following an inquest that identified missed opportunities to assist him. Nicholas Hart, 33, a serviceman with the 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, was discovered deceased at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, in February 2022. The 10-day inquest established that the serviceman, originally from Pontypridd in Wales, had experienced difficulties with his mental health and had been consuming significant amounts of alcohol subsequent to another soldier’s death by suicide. North Yorkshire’s assistant coroner, Jonathan Leach, rendered a verdict of suicide, stating that while opportunities to help Mr. Hart were missed, they did not directly contribute to his death. Following the inquest, Mr. Hart’s widow, Sara, 38, described the process of hearing the evidence as “traumatic,” yet it brought to light chances for her husband to have received support prior to his passing. “We as a family remain of the opinion that had he received earlier treatment and help his death could have been prevented,” she communicated in a statement issued via her legal representatives, Irwin Mitchell. Ayse Ince, from the firm, expressed a continued desire for further clarification regarding whether the Army could have provided more assistance to him. “Grieving has been all the harder because of the number of questions and concerns that they have around what happened to Nicki,” Ms. Ince stated. “Sadly, along with the Service Inquiry Report, the inquest has identified some missed opportunities in the care provided to Nicki.” Mr. Leach noted that the father-of-three was undergoing treatment for his mental health at the time of his death. He identified “missed opportunities” to help him, attributing this to the lack of awareness among the serviceman’s colleagues regarding his previous attempts to take his life in 2012 and 2014. Furthermore, he added that a toxicology report indicated the alcohol level in Mr. Hart’s system would have exceeded twice the legal drink-drive limit at the time of his death. Mr. Leach expressed his conviction that Mr. Hart’s increased alcohol consumption and marital difficulties at the time of his death constituted a more significant factor in him taking his own life than any negligence on the part of the army. The inquest received testimony from Col Simon Bloodworth, a medical officer who assessed Mr. Hart but did not deem that the soldier “engaged with the available support” and was “vulnerable, but not high risk,” thus not recommending an emergency appointment or an intervention. He also refuted the assertion made by another witness, former soldier David Twiname, who was working in the same barracks at the time, that Mr. Hart had effectively been told to “man up” while seeking assistance. Mr. Leach concluded that Mr. Hart “took his own life and intended to do so” and subsequently extended his condolences to the serviceman’s family. Mrs. Hart stated that it remains “almost impossible” to articulate her feelings on the day she was informed of her husband’s death. “Not a day goes by when I don’t think about him.” Mr. Hart’s sister, Jamie Hart-Dobbs, expressed that her brother’s passing had “floored her.” “All Sara and I can do now is hope that something is put in place to ensure soldiers get the help and support they need. At the very least, it’ll help us honour Nicki’s memory,” she remarked.