Sandhurst cadet found hanged deemed 'low risk' after suicide attempt, inquest hears

The military deemed there to be a "low risk of reoccurrence" when an Army cadet who was found hanged in her room made a suicide attempt the previous year, an inquest heard.

Olivia Perks, 21, was found dead at the prestigious Sandhurst military academy in Berkshire in February 2019.

An earlier inquest hearing recorded her provisional cause of death as "asphyxia due to hanging".

Colonel Robert Manuel, president of the service inquiry into her death which was reported in November last year, told Berkshire Coroner's Court in Reading that Ms Perks became drunk on three occasions when her behaviour became erratic.

After the first, where she made a suicide attempt at a Royal Engineers visit in July 2018, she was deemed at low risk of reoccurrence and was later given a "dressing down".

Following the other two episodes, she was not referred for medical help.

She was also in a secret relationship with a staff sergeant who worked in the academy's gym, which was against rules.

'Complete breakdown in welfare support'

Despite engaging in behaviour that appeared concerning, there was a "complete breakdown in welfare support", the hearing was told.

Her case was discussed at various meetings but there was "no positive action to support her".

During the Royal Engineers visit, she confessed that she wanted to go into the sea, wanted to kill herself and asked for a belt and knife.

She also tried to swallow rocks and attempted to strangle herself.

The female soldier she was with became so concerned she began recording Ms Perks as she thought "it was so outlandish that people won't actually believe it", Col Manuel said.

He said medical information was shared with the chain of command but she was deemed to be low risk and "a decision to return her to training was taken".

He added: "My understanding is that there was a bit of a dressing down. There was a conversation about her behaviour when she was at the Royal Engineers."

Risk register

She was on a risk register throughout her time at Sandhurst and her risk was deemed to be amber before being raised to red in the days before her death.

During a trip to Normandy in November 2018, Ms Perks is said to have inappropriately put her hand on the arm of a colour sergeant.

The hearing was told she "trashed" her room and was hitting her head against a bed frame on the night of the Falklands Ball on 1 February 2019.

She had spent the night in a colour sergeant's room and missed a parade the following morning but neither of them said they engaged in sexual activity.

He was nonetheless dismissed from Sandhurst.

Ms Perks was just one of several people that night who did things that could have led to disciplinary action, the inquest heard.

When asked whether Ms Perks believed she would be dismissed for being in the colour sergeant's room, Col Manuel replied: "Yes, that's my understanding. All Ms Perks had actually done was spend the night in an out-of-bounds area and missed a parade."

Pointing to the ceiling of the courtroom he said the seriousness with which he treated the incident was "up here" when in reality it was less serious and would not have resulted in dismissal.

The inquest continues.

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