Inquest finds suicide of rising-star army major who feared seeking help would blight career

A Portsmouth inquest concluded that Major Nick Coles, 36, a rising star in the British Army, took his own life in the early hours of August 4, 2023, in Andover, Hampshire. The coroner recorded suicide and heard that Coles feared seeking help for work-related stress would blight his military career.

Coles's wife, Tabitha Coles, found him dead by hanging in the couple's garage. She told the hearing that they had spent the previous evening drinking wine together and that his blood alcohol level was near the drink-drive limit.

Coles served with the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, and balanced his demanding career with parenting their baby daughter. Tabitha described him as a perfectionist who worked 16-hour days and planned to leave the Army after a deployment, ideally in Kenya. She said he struggled to balance work with family life, often losing sleep and suffering morning panic attacks when he had to return to duty. He did not seek help from military mental health services for those panic attacks, and Tabitha said he remained reluctant to raise concerns fearing it would jeopardize his promotion path.

During the inquest, coroner Jason Pegg noted that Nick had achieved his rank through rigorous self-improvement and had high expectations of himself. Pegg said that Nick was prone to panic attacks when stressed since school days and that his self-imposed pressure to perform may have made him vulnerable. He concluded that Nick acted impulsively and that the wine he had consumed likely contributed to his decision. The coroner emphasized the broader pattern of soldiers balancing demanding careers with family life and the stigma that can deter seeking help, particularly when career prospects hang in the balance.

Nick Coles was described at his funeral by his father, retired Lieutenant Colonel Tim Coles, who delivered a public appeal to military leaders to do more to support service members. Tim Coles, regional director of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, urged leaders to identify problems early and to guide colleagues toward help, saying: don’t hesitate, listen, think, care and smile, and look behind the mask. For confidential support, the Samaritans can be reached at 116 123 or samaritans.org.