A soldier who hanged himself at Catterick Garrison had been devastated by the death of a friend at the barracks six months before, an inquest was told.
Nicki Hart, 33, who served with the 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, was found dead at the North Yorkshire base in February 2022.
The much-loved Highlander had a history of mental health problems and his family expressed concerns about his use of alcohol.
The father-of-three, who was originally from Rhondda Valley, South Wales, had been drinking heavily after the death of his friend, Ryan Mackenzie, at the garrison the previous August.
Former soldier David Twiname told an inquest in Northallerton, North Yorkshire: “The effect on Nicki was massive.”
Mr Twiname said alcohol became a coping mechanism and Highlander Hart would buy beer and wine from a local superstore and take it back to his accommodation.
The witness said he made a conscious decision to be with Highlander Hart as he was worried about his friend’s mental health.
Mr Twiname described a diagram his comrade showed him which demonstrated how his aim was to kill himself, but to do that he needed to get around obstacles, which were his friends.
Mr Twiname is now a youth worker, after leaving the Army, and has stopped drinking after Highlander Hart’s death.
Assistant Coroner Jonathan Leach said a toxicology report found the amount of alcohol in his system would have put the soldier more than twice the legal drink drive limit when he died.
A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was hanging.
A Service Inquiry Report has found that there were “missed opportunities” in the care he received before he died.
He developed post traumatic stress disorder after a 2012 tour of Afghanistan, the inquest heard.
He served a second tour of Afghanistan in 2020.
Highlander Hart sent family members a video in the aftermath of a previous attempt to kill himself in October 2021, the coroner was told.
He was referred to mental health specialists and attended an appointment two days before his death.
The inquest, which is due to last 10 days, continues.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel