Mother of Scots suicide soldier calls for inquiry

THE mother of a Scottish soldier who killed himself after serving in Afghanistan has called for a fatal accident inquiry into his suicide in a bid to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Aaron Black. Picture: submitted

June Black, whose son Aaron took his own life in December 2011, hopes that an FAI could help establish how her traumatised son “fell through the cracks” of the help on offer to serviceman affected by harrowing service in war-torn Afghanistan.

Aaron, 22, from Rattray near Blaigrowie in Perthshire, surrounded himself with treasured photographs, including a picture of an ex-girlfriend, his army medals and a crucifix and sent a last text message to his mother before hanging himself seven months after he left the Black Watch.

Mrs Black believes there was a “systematic failure” in getting her son the help he needed after returning from Afghanistan, and she is now pressing for a fatal accident inquiry in the hope that the inquiry will identify a better system of supprt for young servicemen and women struggling to cope after witnessing the horrors of war.

She said today that her desire to secure an FAI had been strengthened after she obtained Aaron’s classified military medical records which painted a bleak picture of a young man desperately in need of supprt and assistance after he left the Black Watch, the regiment with which he had served since he was 17.

The records show that he had “depressive symptoms and trauma symptoms from Afghanistan, is still jumpy with dreams and flashbacks.”

The records continue: “He continues to have suicidal thinking, accepting it is worse when he has been drinking.”

According to the records, Aaron was referred by a consultant psychiatrist to a community mental health nurse (CMHN) for “trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy” before his discharge from the Army but missed his second appointment.

The records state that Aaron would then be referred to a mental health social worker at RAF Leuchars before he left the Army.

But Mrs Black claims that no contact was ever made with her son. Last year, after raising her son’s death with the Government, she received a letter from Mark Francois, the Minister of State for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, stating that Aaron was “not classified as a vulnerable service leaver and no steps were taken to formally transfer his care.” Mr Francois added that her son had been “free to raise any concerns he may have had about his health, both physical and mental with his civilian GP at any time after discharge.”

Mrs Black, who has three other children, said: “I thought his reply was effectively dismissive of Aaron and I was devastated. Aaron’s case was never followed up. I believe there was a failure in the system and an apparent breakdown in communication. I believe Aaron had an expectation of continuing support - he asked for it himself on 11 May, 2011, some six days before exiting 3 Scots.

“Somebody needs to tell me why he wasn’t followed up because I need to know.”

She continued: “I think Aaron went into a downward spiral very quickly. And I think that, had somebody followed up his case, knowing what is in these notes, then perhaps they would have picked up on his downward spiral and perhaps seen the danger signs.

“He was basically a mess and I don’t know how Mr Francois can turn round and tell me that Aaron wasn’t vulnerable.”

Mrs Black, who is demanding more Government-funded support for servicemen on their return to civilian life - both practical aid or help with mental and other health issues - added: “I fear that someone at the end of the day will turn round and still blame Aaron for his own downfall.

“But I am only a mum trying to understand what happened to my son. There is no way of knowing if a proper system of referral would have helped save Aaron’s life - but it just might have made a difference.”

She said: “One of the grounds for a fatal accident is to determine whether there was a reasonable precaution whereby a death may have been avoided. And I think they (the Ministry of Defence) had a chance.”

A spokesman for the Crown Office said: “The Procurator Fiscal has received a report in connection with the death of a 22 year-old man in Blairgowrie on 17 December, 2011. The investigation into the death, under the direction of Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU), is ongoing and the family will continue to be kept updated in relation to any significant developments.”