Six days before an Australian special operations soldier was sent to Malaysia for training, internal defence records showed his harmful abuse of alcohol, impulsive aggression and an order to protect his wife, an inquest has heard.
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But his commanding officer at the time, Brigadier Ian Langford, said he was not aware of the severity of Sergeant Ian Turner's mental state or domestic violence abuse at that time.
He said if he was made aware his decision in 2015 to send Sgt Turner overseas would have been different, but privacy and consent issues were a factor.
The Sydney inquest into Sgt Turner's 2017 death by suicide heard evidence from his wife Joanna Turner on Tuesday when she said she did not receive enough support from the Australian Defence Force after informing them of serious issues.
In a letter to the army she outlined her husband's excessive drinking and his subsequent deteriorating behaviour, and the domestic violence situation unfolding. She noted a court magistrate told her the situation should never have reached the stage that it did.
"In my opinion, his concerns regarding the impact of such admissions about his mental health state, would have on his career and his own pride, stopped him following through....seeking mental health assistance," she wrote.
Brig Langford said the letter caused him concern and he arranged a meeting with Ms Turner.
He wanted to discuss the "thesis of the letter" and work out how to make ongoing processes better for family members and improve support, and to ensure Ms Turner knew she could "approach a broader defence network for assistance" when required.
"I took it seriously," he told the inquest on Wednesday.
But Ms Turner earlier told the court she eventually "lost hope" and stopped reporting his conduct with the army. She had already under-reported so he would not lose his job and create more danger for her family.
Brig Langford later heard Sgt Turner believed his wife was trying to damage his career in the army, and directly asked his company not to make contact with her or discuss their family affairs.
About 10 days after Brig Langford signed off on Sgt Turner's trip to Malaysia, Ms Turner reported he had harmed her to the army but not to police so her husband would not be charged.
The situation was not brought to Brig Langford's attention, and he accepted ongoing inquiries should have been made with Ms Turner about the situation at home.
Sgt Turner had been deployed seven times to Afghanistan, East Timor, and Iraq, where he was sent in 2016 and demoted following a prank involving a pornographic card on the flight to Iraq.
Brig Langford agreed being demoted in such a way would be "straight-up humiliating" but said the punishment was not harsh given the potential international consequences that could have unfolded.
"It's duty of rank and position... there is trust and investment in a senior (soldier) to conduct tasks," he said.
A commanding officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was heavily involved in the decision to change Turner's company following the demotion.
The commander has had no specific mental health training surrounding PTSD, domestic violence abuse and depression, but did not consult a medical expert when taking Sgt Turner away from his "close support network" and friends he had worked alongside for years.
He heard Sgt Turner was angry about the decision after he found out his fate "through the chain of command' while deployed overseas, and remained so when he returned to Australia in December 2016.
Part of the reasoning behind the move to a less demanding role was to give Sgt Turner time to "sort out his personal life", as his divorce was not yet finalised.
About seven months later in July 2017 Sgt Turner took his own life.
The inquest continues before NSW deputy state coroner Harriet Grahame.
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Australian Associated Press
