A former British soldier who is a Catholic claims he attempted suicide after being subjected to a campaign of constant sectarian abuse, threats and harassment by Protestant colleagues, a fair employment tribunal in Belfast heard yesterday.
Mr Patrick Murphy (33), from the South Down area, but originally from Catholic west Belfast, claims that after he joined the Royal Irish Regiment in 1996, fellow soldiers left bullets and sectarian notes in his locker and made abusive telephone calls to his wife.
The British Ministry of Defence is denying unlawful discrimination on the grounds of religious belief or political opinion and claims Mr Murphy was unreliable.
Mr Murphy told the tribunal his life of hell started when he was posted to barracks in the mainly Protestant town of Portadown, Co Armagh and fellow squaddies discovered he was a Catholic despite an effort to cover up his religion.
Life was so bad that when he was on 24-hour fast-response duty he ended up sleeping in the back of a Land Rover because of the abuse he endured in the bunk room.
He said that when he joined, a recruiting sergeant told him to change his name to hide his religion. Mr Murphy took the advice and became known as Paul Murphy, and his dog tags were stamped to indicate he was a member of the Protestant Church.
"He said it was in my own interests to change my name from Patrick because it would be known I was a Catholic and I would get a hard time," he added.
The Portadown Army base was the last place he wanted to be posted to after training because it was "renowned for its sectarianism", he said.
For the first month or two he kept his head down and settled in.
Trouble started after a Colour Sergeant told him he had spoken to someone in recruitment who told him he was a Catholic from Andersonstown, he claimed.
"He said 'I know you are a Taig'. I just laughed it off but he said he was going to tell everyone I was a Fenian.
"I tried to push it to one side, I didn't want to draw attention to myself and hoped it would go away, but it didn't," he told the tribunal in Belfast.
The hearing continues. - (PA)