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Open Verdict Recorded in Lance Corporal Mongan’s Death as Army Acknowledges Failures

Decomposition prevented doctors from determining how Mongan died, prompting the Army to apologize for failures in welfare checks.

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Overview

  • The coroner recorded an open conclusion after finding no evidence to explain how Mongan died due to the advanced decomposition of his body.
  • Evidence showed senior officers had shouted at and assigned punitive tasks to Mongan, behaviour the coroner said caused him distress.
  • Mongan’s accommodation went unchecked over Christmas 2019, and his absence was not reported when he failed to join 77 Brigade in January.
  • Forensic experts detected barbiturates in Mongan’s system but could not determine whether self-poisoning or a cardiac event caused his death.
  • His widow, Beth Mongan, criticised the three-week delay in discovering his body as ‘unforgivable’ and believes bullying drove him to suicide.