Soldier, 26, devastated over split from girlfriend deliberately drove into tree while on phone to her and said: ‘You won’t hear from me again’

A heartbroken British soldier, distraught after breaking up with his girlfriend, crashed his car into a tree at 80mph and told his girlfriend on the phone: ‘You’ll never hear from me again.’

Signalman Joshua Parsons, 26, died after suffering serious injuries in a late-night accident while he was talking to his partner Georgia Clements.

Ms Clements said she would come and find him to calm him down, but then she heard a loud noise and realized he had crashed his car.

The inquest into Mr Parsons’ death heard the couple had an “on-off relationship” before his death on June 9, 2024, and their communications were “chaotic and inconsistent”.

A keen rugby player, Joshua was a member of 220 Signal Squadron based in Colerne, Wiltshire, and was due to be deployed to Poland two months before his death.

But the inquest at South London Coroner’s Court in Croydon heard this did not happen because of an incident that occurred while he was on leave at his home in West Wickham, south London, in February.

His mother Sally Parsons, who attended the inquest with her siblings Jodie and Jack, said she and her husband Lee were in bed when Joshua and Mrs Clements returned on February 24 because they had ‘both had too much to drink’.

They argued and Mrs Clements ran upstairs in a panic, saying Joshua had tried to stab her and was being restrained by her father and brother.

Ministry of Defense GP Dr. Laura Vincent saw him on February 26. He told her he was having thoughts that he would be better off dead and wanted to be dismissed.

The inquest into Mr Parsons’ death found the pair had an “on-off relationship” before his death on June 9, 2024, and their communications were “chaotic and inconsistent”. Picture: Joshua Parsons (left) with his siblings Jodie Ashbolt and Jack Parsons

Joshua Parsons (top right) with his mother Sally, father Lee, brother Jack and sister Jodie

He added that the February 24 incident was a ‘sudden incident’, that he was under the influence of four beers and, most importantly, that he did not have any relationship problems.

Dr. “I was very worried about him, but as far as I could see there was no risk of another suicide attempt,” Vincent told the hearing.

‘I trust my instincts very much as I know that patients do not always fully open up about what they are going through. ‘He was actively seeking support.’

The investigation said the Army responded strongly to the soldier’s mental health issues and rated him unfit for deployment.

Dr Vincent immediately reached out to the chain of command and a Vulnerability Risk Management meeting was held that afternoon.

The military-run Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) was contacted and an appointment was made for the next day.

He was included in a Care Action Plan to provide him with extra support before he started an anxiety management course to address mental health triggers.

But he specifically asked that his family not be told what had happened, which meant they were unaware of how bad he was.

It was reviewed weekly over the following months and showed major signs of improvement.

But Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Galvin said the signalman had ‘a tension about indecisiveness about being in the Army’.

His complete dismissal had been mooted on the grounds that his temperament was unsuited for the role.

Maj. Steven McNeillie, subunit commander, said his unit deployed to Poland in April but he remained at the base.

‘Josh didn’t want others to know he was having suicidal thoughts,’ she said.

‘He couldn’t carry a gun and he didn’t want other people to see him unarmed because they would jump right in.’

On the night of his death, Joshua had called a local bar to see his family (pictured above) and then said he was going to a friend’s house.

A keen rugby player, Joshua was a member of 220 Signal Squadron based in Colerne, Wiltshire, and was due to be deployed to Poland two months before his death. Photo with sister Jodie Ashbolt and brother Jack

In the weeks before his death, his mother said he came home every weekend and didn’t really want to leave his room.

On the night of his death, Joshua had called a local bar to see his family and then said he was going to a friend’s house.

He came home late that evening and his mother told him that he had texted Miss Clements (he said he had ended the relationship a week earlier) and asked her not to contact him because he was going to a parachute course in the USA and she wanted him to be in a good mood.

She heard Joshua leaving the house and thought he was going for a walk, but he had actually decided to drive.

Miss Clements was spending the night in a rowdy bar but received a voicemail from Joshua saying: ‘I’ve got nothing left. I am sad.’

She called him back and it was obvious he was driving the car.

‘The last time we met, we asked, ‘Will we ever get together again?’ he asked. he said.

‘I said I couldn’t do this. ‘You will never hear from me again,’ he said. ‘I told him to pull over and that’s when I heard about the accident.’

Met Police crash expert PC Peter Devoy examined the scene on South Eden Park Road, Beckenham.

There was no fault with the road or the car and there was a ‘constant drift’ towards a tree.

The speedometer remained stuck at 80 mph, and when removed it dropped to 60 mph, indicating possible collision speed.

‘All the evidence was that the incident was a deliberate act,’ he said.

At around 12.40, citizens and two police officers on duty arrived at the scene.

Joshua was unconscious and trapped.

After he was rescued within four minutes by the London Fire Brigade, an air ambulance crew arrived but efforts to resuscitate him were aborted as he had been in cardiac arrest for 20 minutes.

His blood alcohol level was 132 mg per 100 ml of blood; this was almost twice the legal drink-driving limit

Consultant histopathologist Dr. Anna Rycroft said the cause of death was multiple serious injuries.

His blood alcohol level was 132 mg per 100 ml of blood, almost twice the legal drink-driving limit.

Deputy coroner Paul Renteurs recorded a narrative conclusion, saying it was “incredibly sad” that someone who had embarked on a life of service had died at such a young age.

She said: ‘Ms Clements describes Josh as ‘extremely unstable’ at the moment and Josh left her a voicemail saying he ‘has nothing left.’

‘It’s clear she was on the phone with Josh when her car crashed into a tree.

‘Josh probably lost consciousness immediately after impact. I think it’s very likely that he mercifully didn’t experience any pain.

‘Josh drove his car into a tree and at that moment he intended to end his life. This was a very rash move.’

The soldier’s family has since raised money for various mental health charities in his honor.

His sister Jodie Ashbolt said after his death: ‘Please remember that you can’t always tell when someone is struggling.

‘Please always check those around you and spread awareness. More information is needed on mental health and youth suicide.’

For confidential support call Samaritans on 116 123 or visit: samaritans.org