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Western Telegraph
19-06-2025
- Western Telegraph
Army's delay in finding soldier's body in barracks ‘unforgivable'
Father-of-three Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan's decomposing body was discovered on January 23 2020 in his bedroom at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire. An inquest at North Yorkshire Coroner's Court heard the 33-year-old's medical cause of death was 'unascertained' as decomposition made it difficult for doctors to determine. On Thursday senior coroner Jon Heath said it was 'not possible to determine' whether L/Cpl Mongan died from suicide or natural causes and recorded an open conclusion. The conclusion said there was nothing found at the scene or in the post-mortem examination to explain how he died, adding: 'The cause of death is unascertained and it is not possible to determine how he came by his death.' L/Cpl Mongan's widow Beth Mongan, who was separated from him at the time of his death, said the conclusion was 'an enormous disappointment' and that he was 'very badly let down by the Army'. The inquest heard L/Cpl Mongan had complained of being bullied by senior officers and that five junior soldiers and two senior non-commissioned officers had informed the chain of command that he was being treated differently. Former corporal Stephen Timmerman said 'bullying would be an understatement' as he described how L/Cpl Mongan was 'shouted, screamed and swore at', made to clean senior officers' cars in his own time and 'forced' to do extra runs in his lunch break without being given time to eat. Three other witnesses said he was 'spoken to in a despicable manner,' '100% victimised' and 'never spoken to respectfully'. Mr Heath said in his findings following the inquest that L/Cpl Mongan was 'on occasions treated and spoken to by his chain of command in a way that caused him distress'. The coroner said L/Cpl Mongan was not checked on in his accommodation block over the Christmas period, and had been due to start a deployment with 77 Brigade in January, but was not reported absent by them 'as he should have been' from January 7. The Centre for Military Justice, which represents Ms Mongan, said the last person to speak to L/Cpl Mongan in the early hours of January 2 described him as distressed, crying and drunk. They said: 'Bernie was supposed to be checked on over the Christmas period while he was staying alone in his Army accommodation – astonishingly one of the men Bernie had accused of mistreating him was assigned to do those checks and he admitted at this inquest that he did not perform a single one of them. For that failure, he was ordered to perform an 'extra duty' as punishment.' The inquest heard he had attempted to kill himself several years earlier when his marriage was breaking down. In the days before he was last seen in January 2020 he gave away his Nintendo to a friend's son, told another friend he 'had bought pills but not taken them' and made two donations to a suicide charity. Mr Heath said: 'However I also find his previous attempt to take his own life was caused by feeling he was not going to see his children again – this was not the case at this time.' He also said L/Cpl Mongan was looking forward to his new deployment and had made a list of 'things to do in 2020″ on a post-it note which was found in his room. The inquest heard the two most likely causes of death were considered to be self-inflicted poisoning, after barbiturates were found in L/Cpl's system – one of which was bought illegally – or a sudden abnormality of the heart, but a Home Office pathologist told the inquest he could not say which of these was the most likely. Dr Nigel Cooper said: 'I've thought about this long and hard but I just don't think I can, I don't think I have enough positive evidence to go in one direction or the other.' Speaking after the inquest, Beth Mongan said: 'I was expecting (the open conclusion), mainly due to the Army's failure of leaving him for so long but I've come to my own conclusions over the years. It's hard not having it for the kids.' She told reporters: 'Knowing Bernie, and he did suffer with his mental health over the years and his treatment in the Army, I believe he took his own life. 'I believe (the Army) failed him, they didn't investigate the bullying accusations they way they should have done.' Ms Mongan said the fact that L/Cpl Mongan was undiscovered for three weeks on a military site was 'unforgivable,' adding: 'I know they've apologised but that doesn't take away the fact that they failed him on that front. It forever will be unforgivable.'
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Soldier was 'degraded and bullied', inquest told
A soldier found dead in his barracks was "degraded" by his superior officers, with one posting videos of his "humiliations" in a WhatsApp group, an inquest has heard. L/Cpl Bernard Mongan's decomposing body was found in his room at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, on 23 January 2020 - three weeks after he was last seen. Asked about how the 33-year-old had been treated during his time at Catterick his former colleague, Steven Timmerman, told North Yorkshire Coroners' Court "bullying would be an understatement". He said the father-of-three was made to clean senior officers' cars in his own time and "forced" to do extra runs in his lunch break without being given time to eat. Mr Timmerman, who lived in the same accommodation block as L/Cpl Mongan, was one of three people who discovered his body. He told the inquest L/Cpl Mongan in the weeks and months before his death he had been "made to do additional work in his own time" and was "shouted, screamed and swore at in front of quite a few people". He said: "He was given tasks that he shouldn't have been given to do." 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 said that on the same exercise L/Cpl Mongan was told to help other departments set up their radio masts, but was refused help with his own and told to "do it himself". He told the inquest L/Cpl Mongan was put on remedial physical training after failing a fitness test, but was also "forced to go for an extra run on the same day and given no time for having lunch and breakfast". He described L/Cpl Mongan as a "cuddly teddy bear" who may have been a "soft target" because he was "a nice guy who took things easier". He said L/Cpl Mongan had issues with two sergeants and was "undermined" and "come down on very harshly", and had been considering a service complaint. Asked if he was bullied, Mr Timmerman said: "I would say that was an understatement." He told the hearing: "They spoke to Bernie as if he was inconsequential," adding that he had been "degraded". 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 inquest also heard L/Cpl Mongan - a Royal Signals soldier who had served in Iraq - was due to start an attachment with the Army's 77 Brigade in Berkshire on 7 January 2020. Mr Timmerman said his friend, who was known as Bernie, "couldn't wait to go down to 77 Brigade". He said: "There was a noticeable change in him, he was happy, he was ready to move away." Mr Timmerman said he last saw L/Cpl Mongan at the barracks on 27 December. He said he had returned from a trip to Scotland on 5 January, but was not expecting to see L/Cpl Mongan as he was due to be on detachment by then. He said he had started to notice an "unusual smell" in the block after a few days, and on 22 January followed it down L/Cpl Mongan's corridor to realise it was coming from inside his room. Mr Timmerman said once he realised where the smell was coming from he spoke to a superior officer about getting the keys for the room, and the two of them went in with a civilian staff member the next morning to find L/Cpl Mongan's body lying face down on his bed. Opening the inquest on 2 June, senior coroner Jon Heath considered whether the soldier could have died from poisoning after barbiturates including Promethezene and Phenobarbital, which have a sedating effect, were found in his system. But paramedic Paul Spence told the court there was "no evidence of self-harm or suicide". The inquest heard L/Cpl Mongan had tried to kill himself several times and spent time at a recovery centre run by Help For Heroes. Capt Ben Atkin, RSM for L/Cpl Mongan's battalion, said he was never told the soldier had made several suicide attempts before arriving in the unit. Asked if that was a significant failure in communication, he said: "It's an issue, it's a failing, the system should have worked." Capt Atkin said the only time L/Cpl Mongan was discussed in regular welfare meetings was when he was the victim of an assault by two soldiers outside the battalion while on a night out in Catterick. Asked about L/Cpl Mongan being made to do extra runs, Capt Atkin said: "Physical exercise is not allowed to be used in the British Army as a punishment. "It's completely inappropriate and if I had seen it, I would have stopped it." The inquest continues. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Dead soldier had not harmed himself, inquest told HM Courts & Tribunals Service
Scottish Sun
03-06-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Soldier who lay dead in barracks for 3 weeks ‘degraded by senior officers who posted humiliating vids in WhatsApp group'
TRAGIC END Soldier who lay dead in barracks for 3 weeks 'degraded by senior officers who posted humiliating vids in WhatsApp group' A SOLDIER found dead in his barracks three weeks after he vanished was "degraded" by his superior officers, an inquest has heard. Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan, 33, was reportedly "shouted, screamed and swore at" and made to clean officers' cars in his own time. 2 Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan was discovered dead three weeks after he was last seen Credit: PA The dad-of-three was also "forced" to do extra runs in his lunch break without being given time to eat, an inquest heard. One of the senior officers would then allegedly post videos of his "humiliations" in a WhatsApp group. L/Cpl Mongan was dead discovered in his bedroom at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, on January 23, 2020 - three weeks after he was last seen. His cause of death is still "unascertained" as decomposition made it difficult for doctors to determine. Former corporal Stephen Timmerman, who lived in the same accommodation block as L/Cpl Mongan, told the hearing he "wasn't treated the same way" as other soldiers in their squadron. 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 and claimed he was "degraded" by the officers. 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." He described L/Cpl Mongan as a "cuddly teddy bear" who may have been a "soft target" because he was "a nice guy who took things easier". Mr Timmerman told the inquest L/Cpl Mongan had issues with two sergeants and was "undermined" and "come down on very harshly". Asked if he was bullied, he added: "I would say that was an understatement." He also told the hearing the officers spoke to L/Cpl Mongan as if he was "inconsequential" and "a piece of s***". The inquest heard L/Cpl Mongan had separated from his wife and spent Christmas at another soldier's house. He had been selected for a detachment with 77 Brigade, which was due to start in January 2020. However, his room at Catterick was kept for him while he was away so he could use it for visits with his three daughters. Mr Timmerman said there was a "noticeable change" in the soldier, who seemed "happy" that he was moving away. He told the court the last time he saw him was on December 27, where the pair wished each other a Happy New Year. Mr Timmerman returned from a trip to Scotland on January 5 and believed L/Cpl Mongan had moved away already. But a few days into his return, he noticed an "unusual smell" in the block. On January 22, Mr Timmerman followed the scent to L/Cpl Mongan's corridor where he realised it was coming from inside the room. All the other rooms were occupied but at the time, the soldiers were always away for work. The witness raised the alarm and entered the room with a superior officer and civilian staff member the next morning. They discovered L/Cpl Mongan's decomposed body lying face down on his bed. The inquest heard L/Cpl Mongan had tried to kill himself several times and spent time at a recovery centre run by Help For Heroes. An empty litre bottle of Jack Daniels was found in his room, along with body-building supplements. Tests on his body found a type of barbiturate in his system, with the dad's two most likely causes of death considered to be poisoning or a sudden abnormality of the heart. The inquest, which is scheduled to last for three weeks, continues. If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Soldier found dead in barracks was ‘degraded' by senior officers
A British soldier found dead in his barracks after being missing for three weeks was 'degraded' by his superior officers, with one posting videos of his 'humiliations' in a WhatsApp group, an inquest has heard. A friend of Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan said 'bullying would be an understatement' as he described how the father-of-three was 'shouted, screamed and swore at', made to clean senior officers' cars in his own time and 'forced' to do extra runs in his lunch break without being given time to eat. L/Cpl Mongan's decomposing body was discovered on January 23 2020 in his bedroom at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, 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. On Tuesday, former corporal Stephen Timmerman, who lived in the same accommodation block as L/Cpl Mongan, told the hearing he 'wasn't treated the same way' as other soldiers in their squadron. 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, 33, 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.' He said that on the same exercise, L/Cpl Mongan was told to help other departments set up their radio masts but was refused help with his own and told to 'do it himself'. Mr Timmerman said L/Cpl Mongan was put on remedial physical training after failing a fitness test, but was also 'forced to go for an extra run on the same day and given no time for having lunch and breakfast'. He described L/Cpl Mongan 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 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'. 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 inquest heard L/Cpl Mongan had been selected for a detachment with 77 Brigade, which was due to start in January 2020, but that his room at Catterick would be kept for him while he was away so he could use it for visits with his three daughters. Mr Timmerman said: 'There was a noticeable change in him, he was happy, he was ready to move away.' The hearing was told L/Cpl Mongan had separated from his wife and spent Christmas at another soldier's house. Mr Timmerman said he last saw him at the barracks on December 27, telling the inquest: 'He was very happy and couldn't wait to go for a detachment. He said: 'Have a good New Year, hopefully see you soon.'' The witness said he returned from a trip to Scotland on January 5 but was not expecting to see L/Cpl Mongan as he was due to be on detachment by then. The inquest heard he started to notice an 'unusual smell' in the block after a few days, and on January 22, followed it down L/Cpl Mongan's corridor to realise it was coming from inside his room. Mr Timmerman said the other rooms on L/Cpl Mongan's corridors were occupied but the soldiers were 'always away for work'. He said once he realised where the smell was coming from he spoke to a superior officer about getting the keys for the room, and the two of them went in with a civilian staff member the next morning to find L/Cpl Mongan's body lying face down on his bed. The inquest heard L/Cpl Mongan had tried to kill himself several times and spent time at a recovery centre run by Help For Heroes. 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 lovable, likeable, upbeat person. There was nothing not to like about Bernie.' Captain Ben Atkin, who was Regimental Sergeant Major for L/Cpl Mongan's battalion, said he was never told that he had left the Irish Guards after being injured in a skiing accident, or that he had made several suicide attempts before arriving in the unit. Asked if that was a significant failure in communication, he said: 'It's an issue, it's a failing, the system should have worked.' Captain Atkin said the only time L/Cpl Mongan was discussed in regular welfare meetings was when he was the victim of an assault by two soldiers outside the battalion while on a night out in Catterick. He told the inquest that towards the end of L/Cpl Mongan's life, he 'stopped looking soft and started looking more built,' and said he was pleased he seemed to be overcoming his issue with fitness. Asked about L/Cpl Mongan being made to do extra runs, Captain Atkin said: 'Physical exercise is not allowed to be used in the British Army as a punishment. It's completely inappropriate and if I had seen it, I would have stopped it.' The inquest, which is scheduled to last for three weeks, continues.
South Wales Guardian
03-06-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Soldier found dead in barracks was ‘degraded' by senior officers
A friend of Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan said 'bullying would be an understatement' as he described how the father-of-three was 'shouted, screamed and swore at', made to clean senior officers' cars in his own time and 'forced' to do extra runs in his lunch break without being given time to eat. L/Cpl Mongan's decomposing body was discovered on January 23 2020 in his bedroom at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, 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. On Tuesday, former corporal Stephen Timmerman, who lived in the same accommodation block as L/Cpl Mongan, told the hearing he 'wasn't treated the same way' as other soldiers in their squadron. 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, 33, 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.' He said that on the same exercise L/Cpl Mongan was told to help other departments set up their radio masts but was refused help with his own and told to 'do it himself'. Mr Timmerman said L/Cpl Mongan was put on remedial physical training after failing a fitness test, but was also 'forced to go for an extra run on the same day and given no time for having lunch and breakfast'. He described L/Cpl Mongan 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 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'. 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 inquest heard L/Cpl Mongan had been selected for a detachment with 77 Brigade, which was due to start in January 2020, but that his room at Catterick would be kept for him while he was away so he could use it for visits with his three daughters. Mr Timmerman said: 'There was a noticeable change in him, he was happy, he was ready to move away.' The hearing was told L/Cpl Mongan had separated from his wife and spent Christmas at another soldier's house. Mr Timmerman said he last saw him at the barracks on December 27, telling the inquest: 'He was very happy and couldn't wait to go for a detachment. He said: 'Have a good New Year, hopefully see you soon.'' The witness said he returned from a trip to Scotland on January 5 but was not expecting to see L/Cpl Mongan as he was due to be on detachment by then. The inquest heard he started to notice an 'unusual smell' in the block after a few days, and on January 22 followed it down L/Cpl Mongan's corridor to realise it was coming from inside his room. Mr Timmerman said the other rooms on L/Cpl Mongan's corridors were occupied but the soldiers were 'always away for work'. He said once he realised where the smell was coming from he spoke to a superior officer about getting the keys for the room, and the two of them went in with a civilian staff member the next morning to find L/Cpl Mongan's body lying face down on his bed. The inquest heard L/Cpl Mongan had tried to kill himself several times and spent time at a recovery centre run by Help For Heroes. 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.
