Officer denies comment to soldier's grieving mum

N Army officer has denied told the grieving mother of a soldier who died after taking her own life that the military had screwed up, an inquest heard.

- ROD MINCHIN

Royal Artillery Bombardier Nadine Askew, 31, was found dead in her room at Larkhill Garrison in Wiltshire on July 22, 2021.

Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court heard that Bmdr Askew took her own life hours after getting into a fight with a junior colleague at a party because she feared that it would cost her a promotion to sergeant.

‘There had been previous incidents of self-harm for which Bmdr Askew had been placed on the vulnerability risk management register and received mental health support.

Major Claire Blakiston, who was Bmdr Askew’s battery commander, told the court she would meet with the soldier regularly and would review her place on the vulnerability risk management register and her care action plan every month.

“We talked about an array of things, but certainly I never thought she was holding anything back,” she told the court.

“There were other characters who might be a bit more gregarious, not jokey, but a bit more personable and open, but those might be a bit more senior and more comfortable with rank.