The State We're In Today

[taxexile]

<H1>Suicide teenager urged to jump by baying crowd

A teenager jumped to his death after being egged on by a group of onlookers who were taking photographs and filming the tragedy on their mobile phones.

By Nick Britten

Last Updated: 6:47PM BST 30 Sep 2008

Shaun Dykes,17, who plunged to his death from a car park in Derby after a crowd of onlookers urged him to jump Photo: RAYMONDS PRESS AGENCY Shaun Dykes, 17, plunged from the top of a city centre car park after police negotiators spent three hours trying to talk him down.

A 300-strong crowd of had gathered underneath, with a few shouting abuse at him and urging him to jump. One teenager even yelled: "How far can you bounce?"

Eventually Shaun leapt 60 feet onto the pavement below, dying instantly.

Police said none of those who were shouting at him were actually committing an offence.

But Supt Andy Hough, of Derbyshire police, said it was a "disturbing and shocking reflection on society when people feel inclined to do that".

Police were called after Shaun, of Kilburn, Derbyshire, was stopped teetering on the edge of the roof of the Westfield shopping centre in Derby city centre on Saturday afternoon.

Friends said he had become depressed after a recent relationship break-up.

Witnesses said as police tried to talk him to safety, he kept looking down at those below who were taunting him.

Paul Kennedy, 36, a security guard who helped with crowd control during the incident, added: "There were horrible scenes that afternoon, with the crowd shouting some awful things at the poor young lad.

"The police did a fantastic job at the incident and were not helped by a baying crowd, some with children, calling for the lad to jump."

The incident has shocked the city's community leaders, who condemned those shouting.

The Mayor of Derby, Barbara Jackson, said: "The people who goaded that desperate man to do something so tragic should learn to show some respect."

The Bishop of Derby, the Rt Rev Dr Alastair Redfern, added: "I'm horrified by the actions of these people

"I hope they feel deeply ashamed. Here was a very troubled person crying out for help. What he needed was attention, not abuse."

Mike Shewan, chief executive of Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust, said: "We can't condemn this sort of behaviour strongly enough. No-one knows what was going on in his head, but encouraging him to jump is so wrong."

Shaun's parents were too upset to talk, but flowers and tributes were left at the scene by friends of the former John Flamsteed School pupil, who was studying at the Heanor Gate Science College.

Lindsey Reid, 17, Shaun's best friend since he was four, said: "He was the joker and smiled all the time.

"He was so funny and everyone knew him because he was so popular. Everyone's got memories of him and they're happy ones. He's not the sort of person you'd expect to do this."

Rebekah Minkley, 16, another friend, added: "Shaun didn't realise how many people loved him and are going to miss him."

Rob Howard, head of Heanor Gate, said: "He was a nice lad who clearly had personal issues outside school. At least one of them witnessed the shocking encouragement of Shaun to jump and were both horrified and angry."

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[Bangyai]

Welcome to the world we live in. Society everywhere seems to be slowly imploding. This comes on the heals of two men brutally killed by drunken thugs back in England. The first because he remonstrated with youths urinating on a car, the second because he tried to assist a Lithuanian refugee who was being assaulted by 4 youths. What has this to do with Thailand....well it reminds me of the story about the woman tied to the railway tracks in Surat Thani who was killed by a train. Or in Prachatai, the story of yet another news reporter shot several times in the head whilst shopping for vegetables. His crime; blowing the gaff on corrupt local politicians in Suphan Buri. All a sad sign of the times

[Boater]

i also read this this morning, utter disgusting....

[sylviex]

Unbelievable, really.

dam_n .

(He looks rather Thai but that might be my imagination).

Poor kid.

May you be in peace now, Sean.