Posted by Sam Patrick
on March 28, 2025
My name is Samantha Patrick, and what I have been through at the hands of the British Army and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is nothing short of appalling. The treatment I have endured and continue to face serves as an eye-opener to the deep-rooted corruption within the military establishment, and it is precisely this injustice that drove me to found Dope Soul Village — a platform for women like me, to find their voice and stand strong against a system that has time and again tried to silence us.
I married my ex-husband, a British soldier, in June 2018, and soon after, we were posted to Germany where he served with 1 PWRR (1st Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment). What followed was a life I never imagined for myself — a life where I was constantly belittled, harassed, and treated as nothing more than an inconvenience.
From the very beginning, I was subjected to bullying by fellow military personnel, and the bullying only escalated when I tried to open my own business. Sergeant Major Robertson and his wife, both beauticians, went to great lengths to sabotage my career. At every turn, I was dismissed, belittled, and undermined. It wasn't just my professional life that suffered — my husband's career was targeted too. He was denied pay, denied promotions, and subjected to unfair treatment from his superiors. The bullying and harassment were systematic and toxic.
But the true depth of the corruption came into focus when we moved to Dhekelia, Cyprus, in August 2019. The toxic behaviour of Major OC King became a key focus, as he not only retaliated against my husband's service complaint but also engaged in what can only be described as institutionalised bullying. I was denied proper access to healthcare during my pregnancy, subjected to humiliating and false allegations of abuse, and, at one point, threatened with forced psychiatric evaluation and sectioning under false pretences. This all came to a head in an incident where I was held hostage in my own home by multiple military personnel and emergency services, simply because I dared to stand up to the corrupt practices I was being subjected to.
What followed was a series of mind-boggling events. I was told I could not give birth in Cyprus due to a high-risk pregnancy — despite the fact that multiple medical professionals disagreed. My medical care was revoked, and I was pushed to the brink by the constant harassment and bullying. They even tried to prevent my husband from coming home to be with me for the birth of our child, citing ridiculous bureaucratic hurdles.
Throughout this, I reached out for support. Social services were on my side, telling me in private that what the Army was doing was illegal. But no one was listening. Major OC King went to great lengths to cover up his actions, and everything was swept under the rug. When I tried to speak out — using platforms like TikTok to raise awareness — I was further punished. My husband’s career was threatened, and my rights were stripped away.
By the time I gave birth in September 2021, I was completely isolated. The British Army had made it clear that my life, my health, and my family's wellbeing were nothing but obstacles to their power plays. I had to pay out of pocket for medical care, and my family’s financial security was decimated. The final straw came when the Army attempted to force my husband to stay in the UK, leaving me alone and unsupported while pregnant. The system was designed to break us, to silence us, and to humiliate us.
But here I am, still standing.
This is why I founded Dope Soul Village — to give a voice to women like me, to offer real support to those who have been let down by the systems meant to protect them. I wanted to create a space where women could heal, speak out, and find solidarity, without being punished for their strength.
I’ve been through hell, but my experience is not unique. The corruption I faced within the British Army, especially within 1 PWRR, is not an isolated incident. It’s a part of a larger culture that thrives on control, power, and the silencing of those who speak the truth. Every effort to have my case heard by the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Justice, and the relevant authorities has been ignored. They have turned a blind eye to the systemic abuse and corruption that I faced.
Is this the level of corruption that the UK tolerates, or is it simply incompetence on a monumental scale? Either way, the results are the same. Lives are ruined, families are torn apart, and justice is a distant dream.
Through Dope Soul Village, I have found purpose. I am here to stand up for every woman who has been wronged, silenced, and dismissed. I will continue to fight for justice — not just for me, but for all those who have suffered in silence.
No woman should have to go through what I did. No woman should feel powerless in the face of such systemic corruption. Together, we can change this. Together, we can build a community where women support one another, no matter the odds.
Dope Soul Village is my way of ensuring that no woman is left behind. I am not just building a business; I am building a movement. And this is only the beginning.
Additional Report: The Ongoing Struggles of Elliott Patrick and the Systemic Failures Within 1 PWRR
The turmoil for Elliott Patrick and his family has continued into 2024, as the series of injustices and systemic corruption within 1 PWRR shows no signs of abating. His journey, marked by a string of abuses, from false allegations to bullying and a complete disregard for his wellbeing, highlights an enduring culture of neglect and manipulation within the military.
The saga began when Elliott was denied the opportunity to attend an important trip to Kenya with his regiment. His commanding officer (OC) filed paperwork to have him removed from the deployment, further isolating him within the ranks. Though Elliott made a statement to the SSA and the brigadier, assuring that his job was safe, the trouble would only worsen from there.
In late April 2022, Samantha received a shocking phone call from social services in Woolwich, accusing her of abusing her husband. Initially, she suspected that the regiment was behind the claim, but the social services worker revealed that Elliott was allegedly facing a court martial—a statement that was entirely inaccurate. In reality, Elliott was appealing a charge for a breach of AGAI 81. This is a confusion that would be hard for a soldier to make, but not for a wife—especially when the case had already been distorted to target their family. It later came to light that another military wife, Chloe Masters, had been the one to call social services on them, an act that would set off a chain of events that would only get worse.
Despite Elliott’s protests and attempts to clear his name, no one in the regiment—be it welfare officers, chaplains, or leadership—seemed to care. In November 2022, Sam confronted Chloe Masters, only to be met with hostility. Masters called the police and made a false claim of malicious communication against Sam. The culmination of the harassment led to a year of intensified bullying, culminating in another heartbreaking turn of events.
Throughout 2023, Elliott was told that he would not be promoted because he wasn’t being sent on enough deployments. Yet, when he asked for a chance to go on a course, he was told he had misheard and was unable to attend, further compounding the frustration and emotional strain he had been enduring. The constant rejections from his superiors had a severe effect on Elliott’s mental health. As pressure built, he suffered a breakdown and turned violent. The police were called, and Elliott was taken to the hospital for treatment, but the military was conspicuously absent from any support or acknowledgment of the situation. Even his direct appeal to his welfare officer was dismissed, with the officer merely suggesting that Sam “try to fix her marriage.”
The corrosive culture within the regiment reached its peak when Sam had a formal meeting with the Commanding Officer (CO) in late 2023. She was tired of the constant bullying and harassment by Chloe Masters, but when she requested the CO’s assistance, she was told that it was a “private matter” and that no special treatment was being given to Masters. This disregard for Sam’s claims—coupled with a blatant contradiction in the CO’s words—only added to her frustration. Within days of the meeting, Elliott was informed that he would not be going to Cyprus, further isolating the couple.
In January 2024, after years of relentless abuse, Sam made the painful decision to divorce Elliott. The military’s treatment of him had broken him, and he was left desperate for help that never came. After requesting parental leave for childcare arrangements, Elliott was unexpectedly marked as AWOL and told he was in violation of AGAI 81. A lack of communication from his superiors and a total failure to address his requests led to this chaotic situation.
Sam, who uses her platform to raise awareness about the abuse military families face, has been outspoken about the dangers of false reporting to social services, and the regiment’s response has been less than favorable. Elliott's repeated attempts to seek help—through emails, meetings, and even a formal service complaint—were met with complete silence. In his eyes, the regiment’s refusal to help and their failure to acknowledge the extent of the bullying were clear signs that the system was rigged against him.
In the final months of 2023, Elliott endured another breakdown, leading to a 5-day hospitalization. He continued to beg for a transfer, desperate to escape the toxic environment. But his requests were ignored, and discussions about his discharge seemed to appear out of nowhere. Despite the severity of his situation, no one in the regiment took action to help him.
By May 2024, Elliott filed yet another service complaint, this time focusing on the misconduct he had faced within the regiment, including perverting the course of justice and misusing taxpayer funds. As Sam explains, this is not an isolated case—there are at least eight other soldiers who are being bullied within 1 PWRR, but are too afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation.
The numerous issues plaguing the regiment are not new; 1 PWRR has faced public scrutiny in the past for cases involving bullying, harassment, and even deaths. The culture of abuse seems ingrained, and the lack of accountability continues to protect those in power. As Sam and Elliott continue to fight for justice, they are confronted with a wall of indifference and corruption.
The court case against Chloe Masters and the mounting service complaints illustrate the extensive cover-ups within the military, but as Sam notes, “the system needs to change.” The endless delays, inadequate communication, and lack of proper response to their pleas have become a pattern of behavior that has left them both drained and disillusioned. As they push forward, they hope their story will shed light on the widespread issues within the military and encourage others to speak out.
Despite the challenges, Sam remains determined to expose the truth and to continue her work supporting other women and military families who have been victims of a broken system. With a long and difficult road ahead, the fight for justice and accountability continues—though it remains to be seen whether the military will finally take responsibility for the abuses within its ranks.
Attached are the court documents, service complaints, and witness statements supporting the claims made in this report.
