Widow And Sister Of Soldier Found Dead At Catterick Army Barracks Hope Inquest Will Provide Answers

The devastated widow and sister of a soldier who died at Catterick Army Barracks hope an upcoming inquest will provide them with further answers around his sudden death.

Dad-of-three Nicki Hart, who served with the 4^th Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, had a history of mental health issues. Nicki, originally from Rhondda Valley in Wales, was found dead at his base in Catterick Garrison in February 2022, aged 33.

Expert lawyers supporting Nicki Hart’s loved ones through inquest process

Following his death, Nicki’s wife Sara, 38, and his sister Jamie Hart-Dobbs, 39, instructed expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate and help them access the specialist support they require.

Sara and Jamie are now being supported by their legal team ahead of an inquest, due to start on Monday, 4 November.

It comes after a Service Inquiry Report published by the Army Personnel Services Group earlier this year found ‘missed opportunities’ in the care provided to Nicki prior to his death.  It also transpired that there had been four sudden and unexpected deaths recorded at Catterick Garrison between 2018 and 2022, leading to concerns over a ‘possible suicide cluster.’

Ayse Ince is the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Sara and Jamie.

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“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 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.”

Inquest: Nicki Hart's story

One of Nicki’s close friends died at the Army base in August 2021. Shortly afterwards, Nicki’s mental health deteriorated.

In January 2022, he was referred to the Department of Community Mental Health.  He attended an appointment with the team on 3 February.

Nicki was found unresponsive in his barracks two days later. He was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Relatives pay tribute to devoted dad

Sara 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.”

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.

“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.”

A 10-day inquest has been set to take place between Monday, November 4 and Friday, November 15 at Northallerton Coroners Court.

Find out more on the Service Inquiry Report

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