Army Sergeant who took his own life was under police investigation, inquest told
30 year-old Alex Cairnie was found on a remote hillside near his barracks in Tidworth, Wiltshire
An Army sergeant under police investigation was found dead after taking his own life, an inquest heard.
Alex Cairnie, 30, who was serving with the Queen's Royal Hussars regiment, was found on a remote hillside near his barracks in Tidworth, Wiltshire.
Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court heard the police launched a missing person inquiry on July 6 last year after Mr Cairnie left Tidworth Camp.
His body was found two days later by a bird watcher on remote land at Warren Hill, near Tidworth.
Details of the investigation into Mr Cairnie were not disclosed during the hearing into his death at the court in Salisbury.
David Ridley, senior coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, said that days before his death, Mr Cairnie had been interviewed at a police station in Swindon.
Summarising the evidence of Mr Cairnie's wife, Lucy, Mr Ridley said: "You then become aware that there had become police involvement and Alex was the subject of an investigation.
"For reasons I am not going to go into, there were some restrictions and he couldn't return and arrangements were made to find him some lodgings elsewhere. The Army gave him a room."
Mr Cairnie's unit adjutant and padre collected him from the police station on July 4 "after the police have conducted some preliminary inquiries", Mr Ridley said.
He was given accommodation at Tidworth Camp, placed on the unit at risk register and assigned a welfare officer, Captain Alastair Walker.
"The last text message that Capt Walker received from Alex was at 5.14pm on that Saturday where he just stated, 'Just pinning my hopes on good news on Monday'," Mr Ridley said.
"At 12.04pm on July 6, Capt Walker texts Alex to ask what he was up to for the day and he received no reply."
Capt Walker then phoned Mr Cairnie but having been unable to reach him, alerted the unit adjutant and went to his room to see if he was there.
When his room was found unoccupied, Wiltshire Police was informed.
In a written statement, Capt Walker told the inquest: "I rang civilian police to inform them that Alex's whereabouts was unknown and that the military had welfare concerns because of recent events."
The inquest heard the last confirmed sighting of Mr Cairnie was on the afternoon of July 6 in Tidworth town centre.
Police investigated Mr Cairnie's death, but did not find any suspicious circumstances, Mr Ridley said.
A post-mortem examination found he had died from hanging, and toxicology tests were negative for the presence of alcohol or drugs.
The inquest heard there were no mental health issues recorded on Mr Cairnie's medical notes.
Recording a conclusion of suicide, Mr Ridley said: "Alex's body was discovered on Tuesday July 8 2025 in a remote part of Warren Hill.
"Alex went missing from the barracks at around midday on July 6.
"I think there is enough evidence on the balance of probabilities to record a suicide conclusion."