A tragic 26-year-old soldier told his ex-girlfriend, “You won’t hear from me again,” moments before smashing his car into a tree at 80mph, an inquest has revealed.
Heartbreaking Last Words Before Fatal Crash
Joshua Parsons suffered catastrophic injuries in the crash in Beckenham, South East London.
The coroner heard Joshua was on the phone to his ex, Georgia Clements, during the horror crash. Georgia said she was about to find him to calm him down when she heard the thud of the impact.
The couple had an “on-off” relationship and had split about a week before the crash.
Joshua had been drinking that night after visiting a pub in West Wickham, then returned home. His mother overheard him leave the house again, thinking he was going for a walk.
Shortly after, Georgia received a voicemail where Joshua said, “I have nothing left. I’m sorry.”
During their final call Joshua asked, “Are we ever going to get back together?” Georgia replied, “I can’t do this.” He calmly responded, “You won’t hear from me again,” then the crash happened.
Police Say Crash Was a Deliberate Act
Met Police crash expert PC Peter Devoy told the court there were no faults with the road or Joshua’s car. The car’s speedometer was stuck at 80mph, later dropping to 60mph — likely the speed at impact.
Joshua was almost twice the drink-drive limit.
PC Devoy said: “All evidence was consistent with it appearing to be a deliberate act.”
Struggles Behind the Scenes
Joshua was due to deploy to Poland, but his mission was cancelled after he tried to stab himself.
His mother, Sally, described the terrifying night in February when Joshua, having drunk heavily, tried to hurt himself and was restrained by family.
Joshua later spoke with a Ministry of Defence GP, admitting to suicidal thoughts but insisting the stabbing was “spur of the moment” and denying relationship problems.
The Army downgraded him as unavailable for deployment and placed him under a Care Action Plan with weekly mental health checks. Despite this, top brass discussed discharging him for being “temperamentally unsuitable.”
Inquest Verdict and Family Plea
Assistant Coroner Paul Renteurs called Joshua’s death “incredibly sad.” He said Joshua likely lost consciousness instantly after impact and did not suffer pain.
“Joshua drove his car into a tree, intending in that moment to end his life. It was an impetuous act,” said the coroner.
Joshua’s sister, Jodie Ashbolt, has since launched a JustGiving page to raise funds for suicide prevention charity Papyrus. She urged everyone to check in on loved ones and raise awareness about mental health.
Mental Health Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available:
- CALM: www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together: www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind: www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus: www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans: www.samaritans.org, 116 123
If affected by any issues raised in this article, call the Samaritans for free at 116123 or Papyrus at 0800 068 4141.
