Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

British army identifies serious failings over soldier’s death

British army identifies serious failings over soldier’s death

Body of L/Cpl Bernard Mongan, who had complained of bullying, lay undiscovered for three weeks
The British army has identified serious failings in its handling of the death of a soldier whose body lay undiscovered at a base for three weeks, according to reports.

L/Cpl Bernard Mongan, who had made bullying allegations and reportedly tried to kill himself in 2016, was discovered in his barracks in Catterick, North Yorkshire, on 23 January last year.

The 33-year-old Royal Signalman had been missing for three weeks without anyone noticing.

The army’s service inquiry report into his death, which is yet to be published but has been seen by the BBC, found the delay in discovering Mongan’s fate was “unacceptable and profoundly regrettable”.

The report added that “failings in the proper management of personnel led to the delay in the discovery of L/Cpl Mongan”, the BBC said.

Mongan’s complaints of bullying and concerns about his welfare were not properly investigated or passed on, the inquiry reportedly found. The panel that carried out the inquiry concluded its report “makes for sobering reading”.

Mongan, a father of three who had served in Iraq, spent Christmas leave in his room at Catterick barracks but was due to start an attachment with the army’s 77th Brigade in Berkshire on 7 January 2020.

Duty officers in Catterick had been told to contact those remaining in the barracks over the Christmas period to ensure they were safe and well, but the inquiry found the plan had “not been communicated and implemented as effectively as it should have”, the BBC reported.

Mongan had complained before his death that he was being bullied. He had kept a record of his “perceived mistreatment”. The inquiry panel found that the allegations had not been properly investigated.

Mongan was also the victim of a serious assault in Catterick in November 2018 which was being investigated by the Royal Military Police. Support for the victim was not effective, the report said.

There were also welfare and medical concerns surrounding the soldier that were not properly recorded or relayed. It was reported in 2016 that he had made “an attempt on his own life”. This was addressed at the time, but the information was not passed on.

In a statement to the BBC, Brig Edward Chamberlain, the head of the army personnel services group, said: “There were clearly failings in our duty of care to lance corporal Mongan.

“The delay in discovering he was deceased was unacceptable and profoundly regrettable. We are truly sorry that such a situation should have arisen.”

He said the wellbeing of members of the armed forces was critical. “In this case, we fell short of the standard which our armed forces and their families are entitled to expect, and for that we apologise.

“We will implement all the recommendations in the service inquiry to ensure an incident like this does not happen again,” he said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×