Soldier's family 'still have questions' over death

The family of a soldier who took her own life following a fight with a junior colleague say they still have unanswered questions about her death.

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

Area coroner Ian Singleton determined she had intended to take her own life, fearing the physical altercation would cost her a potential promotion to sergeant.

However, Amanda Askew said her daughter had known for months she was not going to be promoted and she raised questions over the position in which her body was found.

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The inquest heard Nadine was a dedicated soldier who had served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and had been honoured with numerous awards for her service.

Giving evidence about the evening before her death, Bombardier Lucy Clark told Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court a fight broke out at a party when a gunner approached Nadine to apologise for something he had done earlier in the day.

"She didn't want to hear it but he kept persisting," Clark said, adding that Nadine then "jumped up from the bench and went for him".

Witnesses said several punches were thrown before Nadine was placed into a chokehold and "thrown about like a rag doll" until colleagues intervened.

Early the next morning, her absence was noted during a training exercise she was supposed to lead but it still took four hours for anyone to check her room.

Amanda said conflicting accounts and "lapses in memory" during the inquest meant the family had to "physically fight for every detail" around Nadine's death.

Her father Malcom Johnston said some aspects still did not make sense to Nadine's loved ones - namely the position in which her body was found.

He explained that, based on police records, the method she used was seemingly impossible.

The coroner's court was contacted regarding the discrepancy but they said it would "not be appropriate to comment" further.

"We can't comprehend it," said Johnston.

"We can understand how the coroner has come to a conclusion of suicide but we are disappointed in a lot of aspects.

"[Nadine] never gave us any cause for concern.

"She was a really pleasant young lady. We will never truly know what her state of mind was."

The inquest heard how Nadine had previously been placed on a vulnerability risk management (VRM) register due to incidents of self-harm.

Ten days before she died, senior officers had agreed to remove her from the register and approve her for deployment.

The coroner ruled it "would not be safe to conclude" Nadine should have been placed on the VRM following the altercation and "it would be speculation to say what difference" any extra measures would have made.

He said: "The fact that Nadine took her own life following the altercation does not mean it was a failure in the care previously provided."

As the mother of two soldiers, Amanda said she had always worried when they were sent off to war - dreading that knock at the door.

"Yet to lose Nadine the way we lost her, it's just devastating," she said.

"There's not a day that goes by that she isn't in my thoughts."

In a statement, an Army spokesperson said: "Bombardier Nadine Askew served her country with pride and is sorely missed by her military friends and colleagues.

"We thank the coroner for their diligence and our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with Nadine's family and friends at this difficult time."

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