A former soldier who joined 29 Commando Royal Artillery and saw comrades die in battle tragically took his own life, an inquest has heard.
Scots-born David Kelso joined the unit, based at the Royal Citadel in Plymouth and went on to see action in Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and twice in Iraq.
An inquest held by area coroner Alison Longhorn at at Exeter County Hall, now the main coroner's court for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, inquest heard he loved life in the military but suffered war related experiences of losing comrades and violence that left him with complex PTSD and severe psychiatric effects.
The inquest heard this left the 44-year-old father with feelings of hopelessness and suffering nightmares and flashbacks.
The coroner was told David was a 'talented and intelligent man', a classically trained musician who had endured a prolonged exposure to warfare.
During his service from 1997 to when he was discharged in 2007, he had seen his best friend killed during a tour and had suffered shrapnel damage in his back.
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of David, who was from Kirkcaldy, Fife.
A post mortem concluded he died from cardiac arrhythmia and drug misuse. Ms Longhorn recorded a suicide conclusion and said his Army experiences had had a prolonged effect on him.
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