Soldier was 'degraded' by superior officers before being found dead in barracks
Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan's decomposing body was found in his bedroom at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, on January 23, 2020 – three weeks after he was last seen.
An inquest at North Yorkshire Coroner's Court has heard his cause of death is still 'unascertained' as decomposition made it difficult for doctors to determine.
One of L/Cpl Mongan's friends, former corporal Stephen Timmerman, told the hearing his friend 'wasn't treated the same' as other soldiers in their squadron.
He told the hearing: 'They spoke to Bernie as if he was inconsequential,' adding that he had been spoken to 'like a piece of shit' and 'degraded'.
Mr Timmerman described L/Cpl Mongan, 33, as a 'cuddly teddy bear' who may have been a 'soft target' because he was 'a nice guy who took things easier'.
He told the inquest L/Cpl Mongan had issues with two sergeants and was 'undermined' and 'come down on very harshly', saying he had been considering a service complaint.
Asked if he was bullied, Mr Timmerman said: 'I would say that was an understatement.'
He said: 'He was given tasks that he shouldn't have been given, and just the general way he was spoken to by higher ranks.
'His seniors, quite a few times, he would be left to do their work for them in his own time.'
Mr Timmerman said he could remember three occasions when L/Cpl Mongan was given a military Land Rover to clean that was not his.
He said that on a military exercise around three months before his death, L/Cpl Mongan was 'shouted and screamed at' in front of other soldiers by his own superior officers in his own department for carrying out an order from another department.
Mr Timmerman, who has since retired from the Army, said: 'It was very aggressive, very abrupt, some swearing … It was very harsh language and it wasn't his fault, he was carrying out an order he was told to do.'
Asked if he was aware one officer 'had been posting videos on a WhatsApp group of humiliations of Bernie', Mr Timmerman said: 'I didn't know about that.'
The hearing was told L/Cpl Mongan had separated from his wife and spent Christmas at another soldier's house.
L/Cpl Mongan had tried to kill himself several times and spent time at a recovery centre run by Help For Heroes, the court heard. More Trending
Former Royal Marine Jules Burnard, who struck up a friendship with him when they met at the facility, said he had last seen L/Cpl Mongan on January 1, 2020, and that he had been 'very positive' and looking forward to the detachment.
Mr Burnard said L/Cpl Mongan had opened up to him about being bullied, and how that had affected his mental health.
He told the hearing: 'He was a loveable, likeable, upbeat person. There was nothing not to like about Bernie.'
The inquest, which is scheduled to last for three weeks, continues.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: I'd enlist to fight in a war – even as a 'woke' millennial
MORE: Police officer died 'after being struck by train while helping man on railway'
MORE: Deaf woman, 25, who took her own life was 'failed' by mental health services
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
17 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Who is Amanda Knox and was she found guilty in Meredith Kercher murder slander case?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AMANDA Knox is part of a new documentary about her wrongful conviction releasing on Disney+. Read more about the latest updates in the slander case against her, and what she's been up to since her murder conviction was overturned. 4 Amanda Knox returns to an Italian courtroom for the first time in more than 12½ years to clear herself "once and for all" of a slander charge Who is Amanda Knox? Amanda Knox is an American author and journalist, best known for being wrongly convicted of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in 2007. Knox was attending the University for Foreigners in Perugia on an exchange year from the University of Washington. While there, she started dating Raffaele Sollecito, a 23-year-old Italian student, and worked in a bar. But on November 2, 2007, Amanda's life changed forever. Knox arrived at her home, later telling police that she noticed that the front door was open and there was dried blood in the bathroom. After calling the police, the body of roommate Meredith was found inside her locked bedroom. Knox and then-boyfriend Sollecito were convicted of stabbing 21-year-old Kercher to death at a flat in Perugia, Italy, in 2007. In 2009, the pair were jailed, with Know receiving a 26 year sentence, and Sollecito receiving 25 years. Knox and Sollecito were acquitted of murder on March 27, 2015, by the Italian supreme court. Judges said that there were a litany of errors regarding the case, including a stark lack of evidence to suggest that either Knox or Sollecito were involved. After her experience, she said that people had flocked to apologise to her - even stopping her in the street to say sorry for jumping to conclusions about her. Knox recently spoke to a panel of lawyers and discussed the effect the case had on her family and how the case came to define her; and featured in a Netflix documentary about her experiences. She married poet and author Christopher Robinson in 2018. In 2021, Knox and Robinson welcomed their first child together. The baby was named Eureka Know Robinson. She took to Instagram to share her news. Since my exoneration, I've struggled to reclaim my identity and protect the people I love from being exploited as tabloid content. It's not easy, and I often feel like I'm trying to invent good choices out of bad whole cloth. I know that I cannot 100% protect my daughter from the kind of treatment I've suffered, but I'm doing the best I can. Which is why this will be the only picture of her I will ever share on social media. I'm so grateful to everyone who has wished @emceecarbon and I well on our journey to parenthood. Thank you for believing in us." Amanda Knox Knox believes that she has had to carry the burden for the murder of Kercher, saying that her real killer, Rudy Guede, is almost forgotten due to the high media presence surrounding the case. In 2024, Knox was back in court in Italy. She was re-convicted of a charge related to the brutal 2007 killing of Meredith Kercher. On June 5th, I will walk into the very same courtroom where I was reconvicted of a crime I didn't commit, this time to defend myself yet again. I hope to clear my name once and for all of the false charges against me. Wish me luck." Amanda Knox Knox was found guilty of slander for falsely accusing Patrick Lumumba, a Congolese bar owner, of killing Kercher. Lumumba was held for two weeks in 2007 before he was freed without charge. But despite being sentenced to three years in jail, the mum-of-two will not serve any more jail time, as the three years count as time already served. Who was Meredith Kercher? Meredith Kercher was born in Southwark, South London on 28 December, 1985. She lived in Coulsdon, a town within the London borough of Croydon. 4 British exchange student Meredith Kercher was murdered in Perugia The 21-year-old was last seen on November 1 of that year, with her body found in a pool of blood in her bedroom the next day. An autopsy conducted on her body found that her throat had been cut and she had been stabbed almost 50 times. It also found that she had 16 bruises, including on her nose and mouth, as well as suffering injuries related to sexual assault. In 2007, fingerprints were identified at the scene as belonging to Rudy Guede, who was ultimately charged and sentenced for the brutal murder. He was granted early release in November 2021. The case attracted global media interest, with Knox at the centre. Did Amanda Knox get any compensation? Knox was awarded a £16,000 payout after winning a European Human Rights Court case against the Italian government on January 24, 2019. At the Court, she said Italian police had infringed her rights by failing to provide her with a lawyer, an interpreter, and not following proper procedure. She also insisted she had been slapped by cops during questioning but judges ruled there was no proof of that. They wrote: "There was insufficient evidence to conclude that Ms Knox had actually sustained the inhuman or degrading treatment of which she had complained." Within minutes of the decision, Knox, who now lives in Seattle, issued a statement again insisting she was hit. She said: "I was interrogated for 53 hours over five days, without a lawyer, in a language I understood maybe as well as a ten-year-old. "When I told police I had no idea who had killed Meredith I was slapped in the back of the head and told to 'Remember.'" Sources in Italy said Knox had been looking for £1.7m compensation but the ECHR gave her £9,000 damages and £6,900 towards costs. There was no immediate response from the Italian government, which has three months to reply. What happened to Raffaele Sollecito? Raffaele Sollecito was cleared of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher after spending nearly four years in jail. The Italian man has since said that the convictions ruined his life, demanding £400,000 to cover legal costs that he incurred while trying to clear his name. 4 Italian student Raffaele Sollecito, murdered British woman Meredith Kercher and her American roommate Amanda Knox This bid was rejected in 2017, on the grounds that Sollecito made "contradictory or even frankly untrue" statements in the early stages of the investigation, which equated to "intent or gross negligence." He said: "There were many victims in this case. Amanda [Knox] 's parents, my parents, all our families... there are many others made by the prosecution's mistakes." He then added that people did not understand why he had been acquitted, saying: "I have to face this kind of society. I have to face anybody that doesn't support me." Sollecito now works as a computer engineer in Milan. He reunited with Knox in 2022 to visit the historic Italian town of Gubbio, a town they were planning to visit before being arrested for Kercher's murder. What happened to Rudy Guede? Rudy Guede was born December 26, 1986, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He was convicted of the murder and sexual assault of Meredith Kercher in October 2008, and sentenced to 30 years behind bars. However, this was reduced to 16 years. 4 Rudy Guede arrives at the Perugia courthouse for the sitting of his appeal against the sentence he received in the Meredith Kercher murder trial in 2009 Guede was released from prison on November 24, 2021 after having served 13 years of his sentence. He was allowed out 45 days early for good behaviour. What's in the Disney+ documentary? A new documentary illustrating the story of Amanda Knox has been released by Disney Plus, with the first two episodes premiering on August 20. The TV show will be eight episodes long, with new instalments arriving every Wednesday until concluding on October 1. "The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox" depicts Amanda's 15-year fight to clear her name, focusing on the investigation, courtroom twists, and shocking narratives- inspired by Amanda Knox's real life story. Amanda Knox executively produced the limited series herself, giving a real understanding to her own characters emotional struggle and mental state throughout the series. How to watch the Amanda Knox documentary The Amanda Knox documentary is available to watch on streaming platform Disney+ for UK and Hulu for US subscribers. Grace Van Patten stars as Amanda Knox in the programme, which is billed as a fascinating blend of media bias and of courage, hope, and forgiveness. UK viewers can sign up to watch Disney+ on smart devices or through the TV. Packages start from £4.99 a month.
Daily Mirror
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Donald Trump Ukraine plans prompts Pentagon peace summit with UK military chiefs
The Pentagon meeting, attended by Britain's top military chiefs, came amid deep unease in European capitals over the US president's changing stance about committing US resources British military chiefs are gathering at the Pentagon tonight to discuss exactly what role America is prepared to play in ensuring Ukraine's future security. The meeting, along with other European generals, comes amid deep unease in European capitals over Donald Trump's changing stance about committing US resources. Security minister Dan Jarvis yesterday said the talks about ending the war in Ukraine marked a "pivotal moment". "We are closer to peace than we've been at any point previously,' he said. 'And the UK Government - the Prime Minister has been clear about this - will want to play our full part in terms of ensuring that we secure that peace." Asked whether he is uncomfortable about "kowtowing" to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Jarvis said he would describe it as "diplomacy" and "the best strategy to try and get a peace settlement". The minister added: "I think in situations such as this, you've got to be pragmatic. "The loss of life in Ukraine is horrific. "This is a conflict that has gone on for far too long. It needs to be brought to an end." Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Britain's Chief of the Defence Staff, led the UK delegation at the Pentagon in Washington DC. He is understood to have told his American counterparts the UK is prepared to send troops to defend Ukraine's skies and seas but not to the frontline with Russia, as planning intensifies for a postwar settlement. Radakin joined senior counterparts from Germany, France, Finland and Italy in what officials described as a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing.' According to a senior UK official, last night's formal Pentagon session focused on 'security guarantees and peace deal monitoring. " The discussions were held behind closed doors, but were closely watched for any indication of what Washington is willing to put on the table. Trump has already drawn a firm line. On Monday, as Ukrainian leader Volodmyr Zelensky arrived at the White House, he initially said US troops could play a role, but he later stated it would not happen. His stance, while not unexpected, raises pressing questions about whether the US is prepared to provide other forms of support, ranging from intelligence sharing to air defence and the use of US bases in Europe. At the heart of the talks lies the single issue of whether Trump is willing to offer Ukraine what his adviser Steve Witkoff this week described as 'Article-5-like' assurance. It echoes NATO's principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all. For Ukraine, currently outside the Alliance, such pledges would be unprecedented. For Moscow, they would be viewed as a direct escalation. Ahead of last night's meeting, one Western diplomat said the 'vagueness' of Trump's language had fuelled confusion and anxiety. "European leaders need to know whether this is political theatre or an actual commitment,' they said. 'The difference could shape the entire outcome of the war.' There are also questions over whether coalition forces could rely on US military infrastructure in Europe to support operations. Bases in Germany, Italy and the UK remain critical hubs for NATO, but their use under a purely European-led mission would require White House consent. Another item on the agenda was intelligence sharing. Ukraine's battlefield successes have been heavily reliant on US surveillance and satellite imagery. Any scaling back could benefit Russia, while enhanced guarantees would signal long-term American engagement. Perhaps the most contentious proposal, said to be raised privately by some European chiefs, is whether to consider a no-fly zone in parts of Ukraine. While seen as highly unlikely under Trump, the fact that it remains on the list underscores European concern about Moscow's continued aerial bombardment. The Pentagon talks are not expected to yield immediate announcements. Officials stressed that discussions will continue in the coming weeks. Yet Putin cannot ignore the symbolism of five of Europe's top generals flying to Washington to hear Trump's position firsthand. One defence analyst said: 'This is the moment Europe finds out whether Trump is prepared to lead, or whether he expects the rest of NATO to shoulder the burden alone.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
British woman, 59, is arrested 'after sexually assaulting 14-year-old Italian girl on a beach' at a Costa del Sol resort
A 59-year-old British woman has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a Costa del Sol holiday resort. She is said to have approached the youngster as she sat on a beach and spoken to her in English to 'gain her trust' before groping her. The teenager, an Italian national, ran to a nearby shop to seek help where a relative was working and called police. Cops held the Brit, who reportedly has previous for other sex offences, in the same area. The incident happened earlier this month in La Cala de Mijas near Fuengirola but only came to light today. The arrest was made by local police but officers from another police force, the Civil Guard, took her to court. It was not immediately clear this morning if the unnamed British woman is a holidaymaker or expat and whether she has been remanded in custody pending an ongoing investigation or released on bail. Local councillor Juan Carlos Cuevas described her behaviour as 'repugnant and intolerable' and added even though she has not yet been formally charged with any crime: 'It deserves the strongest condemnation.' Saying the co-operation of locals and the rapid intervention of local police employed by Mijas Town Hall had played a key part in the arrest, he said: 'This case shows that when we work together, we manage to halt very serious situations.' Earlier this month the same local police force announced it had captured a fugitive Brit wanted for murder. The unnamed man was arrested after a run-in with two women at a petrol station and a subsequent car crash. Police released photos of pistols, ammunition and a silencer seized in his vehicle after the suspect, described locally as having links with 'one of London's most dangerous crime gangs', tried to flee and they held him and 'discovered he should be in prison.' The pics showed the unnamed Brit was also carrying a book called 'Practical Buddhism and the Search for Self.' The arrest was made in an area called Riviera between La Cala de Mijas and Marbella. Respected local paper Sur said he was wanted for 'several assassinations' and reported the argument he had at the petrol station was with two Dutch women he started berating after trying repeatedly to get them to buy him cocaine. Bizarrely it later emerged the man held was not the person local police thought he was. He was remanded in custody while Spanish police sought help from detectives in the UK to confirm his true identity.
