New concerns over inquest into suicide of soldier, Anne-Marie Ellement (From Bournemouth Echo)
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New concerns over inquest into suicide of soldier, Anne-Marie Ellement
12:00pm Tuesday 14th August 2012 in News By Stephen Bailey
‘NERVOUS WRECK’: Royal Military Policewoman Anne-Marie Ellement in uniform
THE new inquest that has been ordered into the suicide of a Bournemouth soldier must question how much care she was given, her sister told the Echo.
Corporal Anne-Marie Ellement, 30, died at Bulford Camp on October 9 last year, and had previously made a complaint she had been raped by two soldiers while serving in Germany.
The first inquest heard that she had been working 80-hour weeks at the time of her death and witnesses said she had been called by work while off sick with stress. The High Court has ordered a fresh inquest after an appeal by the human rights group Liberty, which has taken up the case.
Sister Sharon Hardy, from Muscliff, told the Echo: “Anne-Marie was so proud to serve her country as a soldier – this had been her lifelong ambition. As a family we know we can never change what happened to Anne-Marie, however, by bringing another inquest we hope some of our questions will be answered.”
Cpl Ellement, a former door supervisor, grew up in Christchurch and Muscliff, and was serving with 158 Provost Company when she hanged herself outside her accommodation block.
Statements from workmates described her as a “nervous wreck” who had lost weight from stress and seemed to get a hard time from her work colleagues.
The inquest heard she had felt belittled and pressurised at work and had discovered an ex-boyfriend had a new partner.
Assistant Deputy Coroner Ian Singleton said Anne-Marie took her own life after the relationship news proved the “final straw” on top of other pressures.
The rape allegation was investigated but no charges were brought.
She found role 'challenging'
Former second in command Captain Sean Kimber told the inquest Anne-Marie may have chosen to work extra hours in her own time out of a sense of duty.
He said she was a very competent investigator but said she had found a new management role challenging.
He said she only did 9-10 duties in that role before a week off for stress and a transfer to a new platoon.
He said he personally took charge of her application to join the Veterinary Corps as a dog handler.
He empathised with the suggestion that her immediate superiors could have been told more about what she was suffering.
But he said he had to work within procedures and what he was allowed to divulge.
