An Army officer has denied making a remark apologising to the mother of a soldier who took her own life about how the military handled the case.
Bombardier Nadine Askew, 31, from Sunderland, was found dead in her room at Larkhill Garrison in Wiltshire on 22 July 2021. Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court heard that she died hours after a dispute with a junior colleague at a party, reportedly because she feared it could affect her promotion to sergeant.
Maj Claire Blakiston, Bombardier Askew’s battery commander, told the court she could “not recall” making a specific apology regarding the military’s handling of the case. She added that she met the soldier regularly and had not perceived that she was withholding information, saying, “I never thought she was holding things back. I thought she could talk to me.”
The inquest heard that Bombardier Askew had previously self-harmed and had been placed on the vulnerability risk management register. She had also received mental health support at Larkhill Garrison. Maj Blakiston stated that she had no concerns about the soldier wishing to take her own life or indicating ongoing self-harm issues in the year before her death.
Ten days prior to her death, senior officers agreed to remove Bombardier Askew from the vulnerability register and approved her for deployment. Maj Blakiston said, “I think she was ready to be fully deployable and move on. There was never any indication that she was drinking, was violent and none of this history was playing into our day-to-day management of her.”
The court heard that Maj Blakiston had spoken with Bombardier Askew’s mother, Amanda Askew, following her daughter’s death. When asked by coroner Ian Singleton if she recalled making a comment suggesting that the military had made mistakes over her daughter’s case, Maj Blakiston said, “No I don’t recall that. Nor do I think I would use that language with a soldier or a family member. I definitely would not have said it in the context of saying to a family member after the loss of a child, or Bombardier Askew, the child of Amanda. I also fundamentally don’t believe in that statement which makes me think that I wouldn’t have said it at the time and still don’t believe in it now.”
Bombardier Askew had served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Royal Artillery. The inquest into her death continues.
