Female soldier found hanged was 'upset about brother's suicide'

Female soldier, 19, found hanged at her army barracks was upset about her brother’s suicide, inquest hears

• Jayne Elizabeth Hill was discovered dead in September 2021 in Thatcham, Berks
• For confidential support call Samaritans on 116123 or visit www.samaritans.org 

A 19-year-old Royal Engineer who was upset about her brother’s suicide was found hanged at her army barracks, an inquest has heard.

Sapper Jayne Elizabeth Hill had come back from compassionate leave in the summer of 2021 after the death by suicide of her brother Craig Mercer, a coroner was told.

She was then transferred from Gibraltar to Denison Barracks in Thatcham, Berkshire. She suffered what friends described as a ‘funny turn’ during a night out at a pub on September 18, 2021.

Spr Daniel Bambrook told the inquest: ‘It was almost like a fit. She stopped in her tracks and she was like, “where am I, I cannot see anything, I need to call my mum, what is happening?”.

‘She ran across the road, sort of having a breakdown. She was back to normal after two minutes.’

Sapper Jayne Elizabeth Hill (pictured) suffered what friends described as a ‘funny turn’ during a night out at a pub on September 18, 2021

When back at the barracks in the early hours of September 19, 2021, Spr Bambrook said he and Spr Hill (pictured) had discussed her plans for the following day. The inquest heard Spr Bambrook had later heard a woman crying in the barrack dorm and sent Spr Hill a message to ask if she was ok, to which he got no response. She was later found hanged in her room

When back at the barracks in the early hours of September 19, 2021, Spr Bambrook said he and Spr Hill had discussed her plans for the following day.

The inquest heard Spr Bambrook had later heard a woman crying in the barrack dorm and sent Spr Hill a message to ask if she was ok, to which he got no response. She was later found hanged in her room.

Detective Sergeant Darren Little told the inquest Thames Valley Police had initially been informed Spr Hill’s friends were ‘concerned her drink may have been spiked’.

But he concluded there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, there were no notes in Spr Hill’s room or mobile phone messages suggesting a suicidal intention and the only searches on her computer related to MoD online learning.

The Berkshire coroner, Heidi Connor, also declined to consider evidence from a SnapChat video in which Spr Hill had told a friend ‘people are starting on me’ on the base.

Sapper Jayne Elizabeth Hill had come back from compassionate leave in the summer of 2021 after the death by suicide of her brother Craig Mercer (pictured), a coroner was told

Spr Hill’s mother Julie suggested the video – sent on July 26, 2021 – contained evidence of ‘bullying’. Spr Hill had complained fellow cadets had been trying to take items of furniture out of her designated room.

Connor said: ‘What we have not heard is this case is any evidence she reported concerns about bullying.

‘Even if she is feeling low, feeling depressed, the issue is what is known about.’

The inquest heard from an army reverend, Padre Stephen Pratt, who said the military considered extending Spr Hill’s leave, but she ‘insisted she wanted to come back to base’.

Padre Pratt told the inquest he had spoken to Spr Hill about her brother shortly after her return. He added: ‘She was upset but she sounded happy enough given the circumstances.’

The coroner told the inquest: ‘Often the hardest question in potential suicide cases is “why” and that is a question we do not deal with in inquests.’

For confidential support call Samaritans on 116123 or visit www.samaritans.org.

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