Coroner's warning after veteran's PTSD death

Aeran Taylor was discharged from the army for substance misuse in 2006 after six-months in Iraq

A coroner has warned that a community of former soldiers is at risk after an Iraq war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) died from an accidental overdose.

Aeran Taylor was discharged from the army for substance misuse in 2006 after six months in Iraq.

Despite working with a veterans' mental health charity, the 38-year-old had not fully recovered from PTSD and relapsed into addiction before he was found dead at his home in Crawley, West Sussex, in October 2023, coroner Joseph Turner said.

The coroner said similar deaths might occur if appropriate rehabilitation was not made accessible after soldiers were discharged from the army.

Mr Taylor had received compensation from the Ministry of Defence (MOD), and had been engaging with his GP as well as charity Combat Stress.

In a video he filmed with the charity in 2019, the former Royal Regiment of Fusiliers soldier said he was "really quite lost" when he left the military.

"I managed to hold down a job, but even that got too stressful for me. I was depressed, I just locked myself away completely," he said.

"I wouldn't leave my flat for about six months, I wouldn't answer the door, I was scared if my phone rang."

'Deaths could occur'

Outlining his concerns in a Prevention of Future Deaths report, Mr Turner said there appeared to have been no clinical assessment of Mr Taylor's mental health when he was discharged.

"There appears to remain a lack of readily available, fully-funded, long-term rehabilitation and substance abuse recovery for veterans with PTSD, notably for those only diagnosed well after leaving the armed forces," he said.

"In my opinion, there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken."

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Chloe Mackay, chief executive of Combat Stress, said the charity was "gravely concerned" by the coroner's findings, and called on the army to treat each failed drug test on a case-by-case basis.

"Sadly we know from some of the veterans we treat that during their military career they turned to illegal substances while battling with their trauma," she said.

"What they needed was compassion and help in accessing mental health treatment."

In tribute, Mr Taylor's friend Daniel Cooper described him as a "brave veteran who fought not only on the battlefield, but also against the relentless demons of mental health".

A copy of the coroner's report has been sent to the former soldier's mother and sister, as well as the chief executive of Combat Stress.

An MOD spokesperson said: "Any death is a tragedy and our thoughts are with the family and friends of Aeran Taylor at this difficult time.

"Veterans should be able to access the support they deserve and why individuals can access to specialist medical care from the NHS through Op Courage in England. Veterans can also access specialist mental health services wherever they live in the UK.

"The MOD provides serving personnel mandatory mental health training, a 24-hour helpline with stress management training after traumatic incidents, and continued access to mental health support after leaving service."