Warrant Officer Bill Bielby, a sergeant major with 1 Rifles based in Gloucestershire, took his own life days after being accused of serious sexual offences, an inquest has heard. The 44-year-old was found dead in his flat at Beachley Barracks near Chepstow, 12 days after his arrest.
Gloucestershire Coroner Katy Skerrett recorded a suicide conclusion, stating that Bielby feared losing his army career and believed he would be unable to see his children because of the allegations. The inquest in Gloucester heard he died from asphyxiation, leaving a note and five letters to relatives, with his medals and watches laid out on his bedside table.
At the time of his death, police had not investigated beyond interviewing the complainant. Bielby's ex-wife expressed concerns that the Army failed to provide sufficient emotional support after his arrest while he awaited the police investigation outcome. Detective Sergeant David Nicholls of Gloucestershire Police said phone searches indicated suicidal thinking and that no one else was involved.
Coroner Skerrett said she would consider over the next 10 days whether any issues in the Army's handling of Bielby's case require a Preventing Further Deaths report. The inquest highlighted that Bielby, who had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, was found dead shortly after the accusation.
