Catterick Garrison soldier had been 'messed up' after Afghanistan tours, family tells inquest
Lance Corporal Ryan Mackenzie was found in a bathroom at his barracks in August 2021
The family of a soldier who took his own life at an Army base in North Yorkshire said he had been "messed up" after two tours of Afghanistan, an inquest has heard.
Lance Corporal Ryan Mackenzie was found in a bathroom at his barracks at Catterick Garrison on August 23 last year.
An inquest in Northallerton heard the 30-year-old had joined the Army at the age of 18 and served on two tours of Afghanistan in 2011 and 2013-14.
A statement from L/Cpl Mackenzie's aunt Angela Mackenzie said he was "never the same" after returning from his first tour.
She said he "went into himself" and "could no longer deal with loud noises".
His grandmother Margaret Allison said L/Cpl Mackenzie's second deployment "messed him up" and that he made two suicide attempts after returning.
His family said L/Cpl Mackenzie had also spent time in a psychiatric ward and that his mental health "deteriorated considerably" after returning from Afghanistan in 2014.
Ms Allison's statement said: "When he was staying with me he woke up at night screaming.
"He said he heard horrible voices in his head telling him to do things, and that he got flashbacks of his friends getting shot or mutilated."
She said he "hated fireworks" and once came running into the kitchen from his bedroom when he heard her drop a pan.
L/Cpl Mackenzie's family said he had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the inquest heard he was never diagnosed.
Witnesses from the Army told the inquest they had never been made aware of any suicide attempts by L/Cpl Mackenzie, or any history of mental health issues.
Asked by the coroner about L/Cpl Mackenzie's time in Afghanistan, Lieutenant Colonel Alasdair Hempenstall of 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, said he had been "acquaintances and possibly friends" with Lance Corporal Scott McLaren on his first tour.
"Scott McLaren went missing in pretty unfortunate circumstances. He was taken by the Taliban and there's evidence he was tortured," he said.
"I'm aware Ryan did know Scott McLaren and certainly that incident would have had a big impact on everyone in that location."
Lt Col Hempenstall said he had "found no significant events" from L/Cpl Mackenzie's second tour, when he was at Camp Bastion.
Captain Philip Ingram, the welfare officer for L/Cpl Mackenzie's unit, said a care action plan had been instigated for him by the Army in May last year.
"Ryan had said to a friend while having a couple of drinks that he felt a little bit low and had considered suicide.
"His friend mulled it over for a while and passed it up the chain of command," Capt Ingram said.
He told the inquest that as part of the action plan, L/Cpl Mackenzie was formally reviewed on May 19, June 24 and July 24, and that he spoke to him on several other occasions.
Capt Ingram said that during one of their meetings, L/Cpl Mackenzie told him about his daughter's chronic illness and the breakdown of the relationship with his ex-wife.
Asked about L/Cpl Mackenzie's mental health at the time, he said: "There were concerns but he was quite clear he wouldn't do anything to take his life due to wanting to be a parent to his daughter. He was quite clear about that."
Capt Ingram said L/Cpl Mackenzie never spoke about his experiences in Afghanistan, and he was not made aware he had previously been admitted to a psychiatric ward.
The inquest heard that on July 15, L/Cpl Mackenzie told Capt Ingram that his ex-wife had informed him their daughter had died, but on July 19 said she had "misled him" and that his daughter was not dead.
Capt Ingram said his last contact with L/Cpl Mackenzie was on August 13.
The inquest heard L/Cpl Mackenzie's friend raised the alarm on August 17 when he stopped replying to messages.
A colleague went to check on him by knocking on his door but received no response.
The inquest heard L/Cpl Mackenzie had been on leave in the weeks leading up to his death, and it is unclear when he returned to the base - but his colleagues believed he was returning on August 23 and was in Glasgow until then, looking after his daughter.
His body was later found in his accommodation on August 23 after failing to turn up for a parade.
A conclusion of suicide was recorded.