Sailor, 20, shot himself on board Royal Navy warship after 'suffering taunts' from crewmates just months after best friend killed himself in same way

• Seaman Sam Hatton killed himself after crew asked 'Not shot yourself yet?'
• Struggled to cope after friend Matthew Webster, 23, killed himself seven months earlier
• His ex-girlfriend was pregnant at the time
• Suicide note read: 'To all my friends and family. I'm sorry. I love you all'

   

Grief: Seaman Sam Hatton, who shot himself on board HMS Cattistock after cruel taunts

A sailor killed himself on board a Royal Navy warship after being subjected to cruel taunts from other crew members.
Seaman Sam Hatton, 20, shot himself in the weapon store of minehunter HMS Cattistock, just months after his best friend killed himself in exactly the same way.
He had struggled to come to terms with the death of Matthew Webster, 23, on board HMS Hurworth seven months earlier.
Mr Hatton had sought counselling and was taking sleeping pills and anti-depressants but faced cruel taunts from crew mates including: "Not shot yourself yet?", Portsmouth Coroner's Court heard.
The weapons engineer also felt smothered by his bosses who - he told a friend - had been double checking his work as if they did not trust him to do his job properly.
The ship had been moored at Portsmouth Naval Base at the time of the shooting on Sunday, September 12, 2010.
Sam - known as Ricky to his mates after the boxer - was given the keys to the weapons store because cleaning the weapons formed part of his usual responsiblities.
Other members of the crew had been settling down at 4pm to watch a football match when they heard a bang and rushed to the store to see what had happened. They found Sam lying in a pool of blood. He was already dead.

The keys and padlock to the store were found on a cabinet near his body and his iPhone was blasting "Live Forever" by Oasis through its speaker.
He had also sent a text message to his girlfriend saying "I'm sorry."

Portsmouth Naval Base, where the HMS Cattistock was docked at the time of the tragedy

Detective Sergeant Gary Cable, from Hampshire Constabularly, told the inquest a handwritten suicide note was found in Sam's bunk.
It said: 'To all my friends and family. I'm sorry. I love you all.

'Sorry for all the trouble I have caused. Greg, look after my sister.'

Detective Sergeant Cable continued: 'During Sam's joining interview it was revealed he had a difficult childhood.
'His mother was a drug addict and he was born dependent on heroin. His father had issues with alcohol, resulting in domestic violence.

'Sam's mother died when he was 11 and he was taken into care, moving from foster home to foster home.

'He had recently separated from his girlfriend, Sophie Asher, who was pregnant with his child.

'But at the time of his death he was in a relationship with Nicola Evans, who was the girlfriend of his best friend Matthew Webster when he shot himself in February 2010.

'He killed himself with an SA80 in similar circumstances.'

He added: 'The death of Webster and having no family support caused concern within the Navy.
'Sam was on medication that would allow him to serve on board and he was under constant review.
'His mental welfare was closely monitored.'

HMS Cattistock, the ship Seaman Hatton served on

The court heard Sam had dropped out of a weapons training course in May 2010 because he found it emotionally difficult firing a gun so soon after his friend's death.
He also went AWOL for a couple of days on May 20 and 21 as he tried to come to terms with it.
Crew mates on board the ship spoke of their 'shock' and 'bewilderment' at Sam's death.
Sam's friend Lieutenant Nathan Senior, who had served with him on HMS Illustrious, said Sam had reacted badly to news of Matthew's death.

He said: 'Sam said he was not too good because of what happened to Matthew. He said he had gone to speak to the chaplain and other people about it.
'He was broken-hearted about his friend taking his life. His body language and tonality of his voice concerned me. Mid-conversation he would go into himself as if he was thinking about his friend.

'His whole demeanour came across as someone who was very sad.
'He also said he was not happy about comments being made about him.
'He said there were people who had made comments about his friend committing suicide and if he was going to repeat his friend's actions.
'The people he was talking about were those in management rather than in his mess.
'They were flippant comments such as ''When are you going to shoot yourself?'. 'He felt he was being unfairly treated.'
Lt Sean McClean, a gunnery officer onboard HMS Cattistock, said he had heard somebody taunting Sam about Matthew's death.
He said: "I heard a comment from a male. The comment was 'Not shot yourself yet Ricky?"

'He replied, 'No, not yet.' and left it there.
'I asked Sam if he was OK and he replied ''Yes, no problem boss''

Sam - who was described as being 'sometimes bubbly and sometimes withdrawn' - had joined the ship in May 2010.
Separate police and Royal Navy investigations revealed no suspicious circumstances and ruled nobody else was involved.
Matthew Webster - known as "spider" to his mates - shot himself in February 2010 at Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland on HMS Hurworth.
The inquest continues.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.