News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A war veteran today tells how he fears post-traumatic stress disorder claimed the lives of up to SIX men in his regiment.

Cpl Shane Sweeney detailed the shocking death toll to expose the full horror of the PTSD scandal blighting Britain’s Armed Forces.

hane, 41, who has himself nearly committed suicide five times, bravely spoke out in support of the Sunday People’s Save Our Soldiers campaign.

The soldier - who once guarded the Queen - said: “It’s a huge problem.

“It was a really close regiment and we all looked out for and after each other, but sometimes people slip through the net.

“I believe our experience is just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot of people suffering.”

Shane’s friends who have tragically lost their lives since suffering from PTSD all served with him on the front line as part of the Royal Regiment of Wales.

They served in conflicts including Iraq and Afghanistan.

The death toll include Platoon Sgt Spencer Beynon, who died aged 43 in June last year and Damien Brown, who died aged 33 in June 2008.



We are not naming the other four men at the request of their families.

Shane joined the army aged 17 in 1993 and served twice each in northern Ireland and Iraq, plus duty in Bosnia, Kosovo and Germany.

He also guarded London’s Royal Palaces.

(Image: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker)

He met Princess Diana and Prince Charles in an unblemished career and went on to work as a driver for high ranking officers and VIPs on the front line.

However he left in 2007 and was formally diaganosed with PTSD three years later.

He lodged a compensation claim for “severe complex PTSD” five years ago and is now receiving weekly psychiatric counselling.

He has received two interim payments for his claim, totalling £10,000.

But he says assessors are now “dragging their heels” over his final pay out and the case is still ongoing.

Shane, from Caerphilly and now living in wife Heather’s native northern Ireland, said: “I first realised I was suffering from PTSD in 2007 on our second tour of Iraq.

“Up until then I had always had an active army career and loved my job.

“I always said ‘I’ll leave when I stop enjoying it’ but until then I never even contemplated leaving and always thought I would do my full 22 years.

“That tour was hell and is widely considered one of the hardest the British army has ever had to fight.

“We came under attack at all times of the day on the base and were attacked every single night.

“We were routinely being attacked up to three or four times a day by mortars, but there were times when we were attacked four of five times by 11am. It got to the point where I was scared to sleep.

(Image: Collect)

“I was getting nightmares and flashbacks. But I refused to tell anyone or go to the doctor. It was bravado that stopped me.

“I came back home, we had a family party but half way through I felt like I needed to be on my own. I went upstairs, sat on the bed and just started crying.

“My wife came up to look for me and I said to her: ‘I can’t go back - I’m scared’. I couldn’t keep it to myself anymore.”

Days later Shane returned to Camp Basra and told bosses he wanted to sign himself out of the army.

“When I went back to camp I told my bosses I wanted to leave the service, but I didn’t tell them why.

“They couldn’t understand it. But I couldn’t handle it anymore.

“We came back for a parade at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, but I felt disgusted.

“My wife said she could see a difference in me as soon as I got back.

“She said my eyes were dead. I was cold and just a shell.

He tried to start a new career running food vans, but remained stressed and lapsed into heavy drinking to block out his memories.

He destroyed Army photos and even flogged his medals.

“I couldn’t have them around me for years and just wanted them gone,” said Shane. “Thankfully, I have been able to replace them since.”

The Sunday People launched our ‘Save Our Soldiers’ campaign in September last year after telling how dad-of-two Lee Dodson took his own life aged just 40 after suffering PTSD.

One serviceman or woman commits suicide almost every two weeks, according to official figures, and nearly 400 took their lives between 1995 and 2014.

(Image: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker)

We are now demanding a drastic overhaul in the treatment of our brave servicemen and women suffering from the illness, including a call for veterans minister Mark Lancaster to do more to help, an independent inquiry by MPs and more NHS funding.

Tragically Shane, Heather and their kids Ryan, 18, Dani, 15, and Tyler, 4, are currently homeless.

The family lost their home this month because they fell behind with rent payments after being forced to use their housing benefit to lease a car when Shane lost part of his disability living allowance and his motability vehicle.

“My youngest son Tyler can’t travel on public transport because of the severity of his ADHD, so a car is a necessity.

“We’re not looking for a payment from anyone, just help.”

They are currently in a temporary three-bed council propety.

Shane said: “Because we missed rent payments we can’t rent anywhere privately and the housing executive don’t have anything suitable at the moment. We just want a home.”

Shane added: “The deaths from the regiment are an absolute tragedy and shouldn’t have happened.

“They were all great soldiers and the Ministry of Defence should be doing more, rather than leaving veterans to struggle and be a burden on the NHS.

“I think we can learn a lot from America. The way it deals with PTSD is phenomenal.

“I’m proud of what I did in the forces, but I feel let down by them.

“I want to raise awareness so veterans’ stories are heard.

“There should be more help for families and I would advise anyone suffering to speak out. I pray they will.

“I learnt the hard way by trying to keep it all to myself. One of my first counsellors said to me: “I can’t heal you, but I can help you live with it. I hope one day they’ll be proven right.”

He saw awful things and was never the same

(Image: Rowan Griffiths/Sunday Mirror)

Former Platoon Sgt Spencer Beynon died aged 43 last summer after he was Tasered by police following a psychotic episode.

He served for 15 years in the forces including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His illustrious career included duty in Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, South Korea, and Bosnia.

He helped build a school in Jamaica, was part of the United Nations Honour Guard and was a British Army advisor on terrorism to the Australian army.

His mum Margaret said sadly: “When Spencer came out of the Army it was obvious how much he was affected.

“He would be crying and screaming and he had developed a very short fuse.

“He would sit upstairs for three days straight with his hoodie over his head and wouldn’t eat or come downstairs.

“He saw a lot of terrible things and one of the things that affected him most was seeing a baby killed in Iraq.

“It broke his heart and he would start to cry if he even saw a baby on TV.

(Image: Rowan Griffiths/Sunday Mirror)

“His friend Ryan Francis was also killed there. Spencer had to get him out of his Warrior vehicle to save him, but sadly he couldn’t.

“What these boys see and live with is terrible. Some people still don’t want to believe PTSD exists but it does. It destroys families.

“He went through a lot and was never the same after that 2007 tour.

“The Army didn’t look after him properly when he came out. He was struggling on £75 a week social security.

“His rent was £400 a month and he had to go to the foodbank to be able to eat. “

Spencer’s dad Chris added: “Spencer was Mr Macho and didn’t want people to think he had any weakness.

“Soldiers are soldiers and they’ll hide any weakness. PTSD is a taboo subject.”

We need more aid from Army

Another veteran, Damien Brown, hanged himself in 2008. He was only 33.

Mum Sian told his inquest he would wake up screaming about the horrors of war.

Damien, of Garndiffaith, near Pontypool, South Wales, was one of the first soldiers on the scene of the IRA bomb atrocity in Omagh in 1998, which claimed 29 lives.

While serving in Kosovo he heard screams coming from a block of flats and by the time he got inside a young girl was in the crucifix position with knives pinning her to the wall.

One of his friends was killed when he slipped under the wheels of a tanker.

During his time in Bosnia another 18-year-old friend shot himself dead while on guard duty.

Damien left the army in 2003 and received counselling but began to drink a lot to block out his experiences.

Sian said: “It’s important that PTSD is known about and that there is more awareness. It’s very hard getting people to open up.”

Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.