Soldier went missing before decomposing body was found in barracks bedroom

LANCE CORPORAL BERNARD MONGAN, 33, WAS TRAGICALLY FOUND DEAD ON-SITE AT BARRACKS, CATTERICK GARRISON, NORTH YORKSHIRE. HIS FAMILY HAVE SPOKEN OUT ABOUT HIS 'TRAUMATIC' DEATH 15:35,

03 Jun 2025 The family of a soldier who was found lifeless on his bed in barracks said they have been left searching for answers following his mysterious death. Lance Corporal Bernard

Mongan, 33, was discovered decomposed in his bedroom at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, on January 23, 2020. The beloved dad-of-three, who was described as a "big softie", was

last seen around December 27 of that year. Sadly, an inquest revealed that he had "obviously been dead for some time", which meant that it was difficult for doctors to determine

his cause of death. A post-mortem examination report detailed his death as "unascertained", with a coroner citing two potential causes. One of them was considered to be poisoning,

after barbiturates were found in L/Cpl's system, or a sudden abnormality of the heart. However, a Home Office pathologist said it was impossible to confirm which one for sure. READ

MORE: Soldier who lay dead in barracks for three weeks was victim of 'systematic bullying' Dr Nigel Cooper told the inquest: "I've thought about this long and hard but I

just don't think I can, I don't think I have enough positive evidence to go in one direction or the other." The inquest heard that an empty bottle of Jack Daniels was found in

L/Cpl Mongan's bedroom but it is not known when it was drunk. Dr Cooper said he was aware that barbiturates were "effective" in causing an overdose, and L/Cpl Mongan had

expressed suicidal thoughts in the days leading up to his disappearance. Article continues below Paramedic Paula Spence said L/Cpl Mongan was found face down on his bed, and that he had

initially been discovered by friends. She said there was "no evidence of self harm or suicide" at the scene but this could not be ruled out as a potential cause of death, reports

Yorkshire Live. The statement read: "I do remember someone at the scene saying Bernard had been getting into fitness lately and taking supplements." A toxicology report found

amobarbital in L/Cpl Mongan's system, but said it was at a level associated with a "therapeutic dose". The inquest heard amobarbital was a sedative that is not currently

legally prescribed in the UK. The inquest heard the chances of protein supplements contributing to his death were "vanishingly rare" if they were obtained legally. A statement from

L/Cpl Mongan's mother Mary Mongan said it was "devastating for all of us that Bernard is no longer with us". She said: "His death has left us with so many questions, I

still can't understand it. Losing Bernard has been a traumatic experience and came as a shock to all of us." L/Cpl Mongan's wife Beth Mongan said they had three daughters

together and had separated by the time of his death but remained close. Mrs Mongan said: "When I first met Bernie I was struck by his love of music, books and adventure. "He had a

wicked sense of humour and always tried to make people smile. Bernie was an absolutely amazing dad. Despite our differences as time went on I could never fault him for the love and adoration

he showed to our daughters." She said one of the things L/Cpl Mongan loved about the Army was travelling to different places, and that was one of the reasons he had joined.

"Bernie was the first person to offer help when it was needed," Mrs Mongan said. "Bernie was a sweetheart. If he could help you he would, he was a big softie. He struggled

with acceptance throughout his life... If he was bullied or targeted it was hard for him to accept." Article continues below The inquest continues.