Inquest begins into death of soldier at North Yorkshire Army Barracks
Father of three Nicki Hart died in 2022 aged 33
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 4th 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.
His inquest at Northallerton Coroners Court is set to begin today.
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.
Nicki’s wife 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.”
His sister Jamie Hart-Dobbs 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.”
Where to get help
If you, or someone you know is suffering with their mental health, or experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can speak to your GP. If someone's life is in danger - call 999 immediately.
You can also find help and advice from these services:
Hub of Hope - https://hubofhope.co.uk
Samaritans – Call 116123 - https://www.samaritans.org
Mind - 0300 123 3393 - https://www.mind.org.uk