Veteran Suffering 'Harrowing' Iraq War PTSD Died After Overdose, Coroner Rules

An Army veteran and much-loved family man suffering with "harrowing" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his Iraq war experience died after taking an overdose, while heavily intoxicated, a coroner has concluded.

Lance Shingler, 34, who had previously served in Iraq with the Royal Green Jackets regiment, later The Rifles, until 2007, died on 13 February last year.

Senior coroner Louise Hunt, concluding a three-day inquest at Birmingham’s Villa Park on Friday, said Mr Shingler had suffered from the "complex" PTSD he was left with after "witnessing harrowing, traumatic incidents" in Iraq.

She said: "I am recording a narrative conclusion, because I am not satisfied that I have sufficient evidence that he intended to take his own life.

"I am going to record that he died from an impulsive intentional overdose, while heavily intoxicated."

His partner Hayley Gough, with whom he had two children, welcomed the coroner's findings.

In a statement after the hearing, she said: "The family believe his death could have been avoided if he had been provided the appropriate care and treatment for his combat-related PTSD."

During the inquest, the coroner heard evidence of how Mr Shingler was under mental health treatment from the NHS from 2011 and, later, other third sector providers.

Ms Hunt also heard that the discharge of Mr Shingler from mental health services, just days before his death, was "premature", an internal review by Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust found.

However, the coroner said that it was "a matter of speculation as to what would have happened had he remained under (the Trust’s) Home Treatment team".

The senior coroner said "everyone who came into contact with Lance noted his PTSD was complex".

He presented several times to mental health services "re-experiencing those intrusive thoughts from military service", punctuated with "high levels of anxiety and periods when he had frequent thoughts of suicide".

There were several occasions between 2017 and 2020 when Mr Shingler’s records showed he had attended hospital, after either self-harming or reported suicide attempts.

In a separate referral in June 2019, he told mental health workers that "27 of his Army mates had died".

In the run-up to 13 February 2020, the soldier turned lorry driver Mr Shingler, of Stonebridge Crescent, Solihull, had a crash which led to the DVLA revoking his HGV licence, writing to him on 30 January, which "had a significant adverse effect on his mental health".

The letter arrived on 9 February 2020, four days before his death.

Days previously, Mr Shingler had walked out of a voluntary psychiatric assessment after suffering a mental health crisis in the street, telling staff: "I won’t get the support I need here."

On 11 February, Mr Shingler went on a 30-hour drinking binge with a friend, which ended in him being punched by a stranger.

Later, he told his partner "he wanted to die", took an overdose of prescription medication, and subsequently died in hospital on 13 February

At the start of the inquest, Ms Gough paid a tearful tribute to the "love of my life" who she praised as an "amazing daddy" to their two children.

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