Inquest to probe death of Scots soldier amid fears of 'suicide cluster' in battalion

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An inquest is set to examine whether more support could have been provided to a Scottish soldier who took his own life, amid concerns of a possible 'suicide cluster' within his battalion. Nicki Hart, 33, who served with the 4th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, passed away at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire in February 2022 following a history of mental health struggles.

An Army Service Inquiry Report noted "several missed opportunities" that hindered efforts to support him. The report also highlighted a potential 'suicide cluster' after four sudden deaths within the 4th Battalion between 2018 and 2022.

The inquest into the death of the father of three will begin on Monday, with his grieving family hoping it will bring "much-needed" answers. Ahead of the inquest, Nicki's heartbroken widow Sara, 38, said: "Nicki was my world and to lose him so suddenly and in such tragic circumstances continues to affect me every day.

"To know our children will have to navigate through life without their devoted dad is something I'm still struggling to come to terms with, but I'll make sure they know how much he loved them. I always believed more could have been done to help Nicki when he needed it.

"While the Service Inquiry Report provided us with some of the answers we needed, we're hopeful that the inquest, no matter how tough, will help us honour Nicki's memory and help ensure no other family has to go through what we have. He was the best husband and dad, and I'll miss him for the rest of my life."

The Army report revealed that Nicki had previously attempted suicide in 2012 and 2014 following heavy drinking. His mental health deteriorated again after his close friend, Ryan MacKenzie, took his own life at the garrison in 2021.

A month after his friend’s death, Nicki was assessed, but his condition was "deemed not related to mental health" at the time. It wasn’t until he reported three recent suicide attempts in 2022 that he was finally referred for mental health support. However, by then, there was a "significant shortage of psychiatrists," leading to extended wait times for appointments.

Following his death, Nicki's mother, Sara, and his sister, Jamie Hart-Dobbs, 39, enlisted expert medical negligence lawyers from Irwin Mitchell to investigate what happened.

Jamie added: "Accepting that Nicki is gone is something I don't think I'll ever be able to do. I'd do anything to have him back in our lives but I know that's not possible.

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"All I can hope for now is that we get the remaining answers we're looking for and we can try our best to move forward knowing we've done everything we can to help other soldiers who may be struggling with their mental health like Nicki was."

Nicki is one of eight Catterick-based soldiers to have died suddenly or by suicide since 2018. They include bullying victim Lance Cpl Bernie Mongan, 33, who lay dead inside his room for almost three weeks before being found. Private Thamir Mbarushimana, 18 - who had been at the Infantry Training Centre only a matter of months - was found dead by railway tracks in Manchester.

One of the 41 recommendations in the report states the 'possible requirement to investigate all recent deaths within the unit from the period 2018-2022 in order to identify whether the unit had experienced a suicide cluster'.

Ayse Ince, the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Sara and Jamie, said: "It's been two-and-a-half years since Nicki died, and Jamie and Sara understandably remain devastated by their loss. While the Service Inquiry Report has been published, Nicki's loved ones continue to have questions and concerns surrounding his death.

"All they want is for no stone to be left unturned and the most thorough investigation to be held so all possible lessons can be learned to support Armed Forces personnel. The inquest is the next phase of this."

A 10-day inquest has been set to begin on Monday, November 4, at Northallerton Coroners Court.

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