Inquest and inquiry to be held into mysterious death of soldier at Catterick Garrison

The widow of a 33-year-old soldier found in his barracks room three weeks after his death has said an inquiry will be held into the mysterious incident.
Lance Corporal Bernard MonganLance Corporal Bernard Mongan
Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan

The badly decomposed body of Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan was discovered at Catterick Garrison on January 23, but he is thought to have died around New Year's Day.

The father-of-three, who belonged to the Royal Corps of Signals, was on an attachment to the Intelligence Corps and had not been reported missing or absent without leave.

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He had been due to transfer to a new posting with 77th Brigade in Berkshire on January 8, but neither unit raised concerns over his absence when he failed to turn up.

Lance Corporal Mongan's widow Bethany, 30, has secured the services of two top military justice lawyers who represented the families of young recruits who died in the Deepcut barracks scandal - solicitor Emma Norton and barrister Jesse Nicholls QC.

An inquest into his death will be opened by the North Yorkshire coroner in Northallerton in April, and the Ministry of Defence will also hold a service inquiry into the circumstances.

Service inquiries are internal hearings which are convened by the Army. A panel consisting of experts and officers will investigate Lance Corporal Mongan's death with a focus on discovering the facts and preventing similar incidents in future. The inquiries do not apportion blame and can be suspended if any criminality is suspected, with the investigation then passed back to the police. Personnel who were part of Lance Corporal Mongan's chain of command cannot participate in the inquiry.

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North Yorkshire Police are also involved in the investigation.

In a statement on a Crowdjustice page that aims to raise £10,000 to cover legal fees, Mrs Mongan said:

"Bernie and I were married but separated at the time of his death and remained close friends.

"Bernie joined the British Army in 2004, served in the Irish Guards and had a tour of duty in Iraq. In 2015, he joined the Royal Signals, 1st Military Intelligence Battalion.

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"He loved his work. He was a deeply committed father to his children. I am determined to find out how he died and whether anything could have been done to prevent his death.

"Bernie had been badly assaulted by two fellow soldiers at the end of 2018, and a police investigation was apparently still ongoing when he died. More generally, Bernie told me that he was being bullied.

"We have many questions about how Bernie died, whether the bullying or assault had anything to do with his death and how it was that he was left in his room on barracks, alone, for so long, with no-one in the Army apparently noticing or reporting him as missing.

"The best way to try and get answers from the Army - and to ensure lessons are learned - is for there to be as wide-ranging an inquest as possible. We need to be legally represented at the inquest and ensure that we have all the legal support that we need in the months to come. I know the Army and MOD will be represented by a really strong legal team, with solicitors and barristers, and I cannot hope to ask all the questions I need to ask or take part in the case, without legal help. The Army has also said that it will hold an internal 'service inquiry' and the Secretary of State for Defence has ordered an investigation and I want to ensure that I am involved in those investigations too.

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"Emma Norton, former head of legal at Liberty and now director at newly-formed charity the Centre for Military Justice is advising and representing me as my solicitor; and my barrister is Jesse Nicholls of Doughty Street Chambers. Both acted in the Deepcut inquests. Although our lawyers will act at very reduced rates, there is a lot of professional skill and effort involved in preparing for an inquest, and a great deal of work will be needed to prepare for the final hearing and all the surrounding legal processes. I hope to cover the CMJ and barrister's legal expenses and costs and am trying to raise £10,000 to do this. If anything is left over, it will go to the charity.

"I am determined to ensure a full and fearless investigation into Bernie's death. The next stage in the case is likely to be an initial hearing before the coroner. One of the first things that will need to be discussed is what evidence the Army and Ministry of Defence have about what happened to Bernie and to ensure that we see it all; and to discuss what other steps will be needed to be taken to get the case ready for a final hearing. One of the really important issues for us will be to ensure that the coroner holds a wide, so-called 'Article 2 inquest' (this refers to Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the right to life), which will enable the inquest to investigate not only the immediate cause of death, but also the wider circumstances."

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that a Royal Military Police investigation into the 2018 assault on Lance Corporal Mongan was still ongoing at the time of his death, and that all relevant documents will be supplied to the coroner ahead of the inquest.

Bethany Mongan will be given the opportunity to speak to the panel after the service inquiry's findings are made, and these will then be published on the MOD's website for public record.