[Mrluvaluva]

Police have criticised a crowd of people who encouraged a suicidal teenager to jump from a shopping centre car park.

Shaun Dykes, 17, died after he fell from the site on the roof of the Westfield shopping centre in Derby on Saturday afternoon.

The teenager, a student at Heanor Gate Science College, climbed over a railing on the top level of the shopping centre's car park at 2.30pm on Saturday.

A group of onlookers gathered to watch while trained negotiators spent three hours trying to coax him down.

Witnesses said the mob taunted Shaun, who lived in the Derbyshire village of Kilburn, and shouted: "Go on then, jump."

Students from Shaun's college were nearby and heard the goading, according to his headteacher Rob Howard.

"One student told me he could not believe people place such little value on life. It's almost like they are in a television show. It's unreal," Mr Howard said.

"The sad thing is that a couple of the students, if they could have got close enough, felt that they could have made a difference. It's very traumatic."

Police condemned the onlookers and added that their presence did not help their attempts to save Shaun.

"We are disappointed that people decided to stop and watch, and some people decided to pass comments," a Derbyshire Police spokesman said.

"According to one of the police officers involved it was a small minority of people who were saying things. There's really no specific offence if people were passing comments."

The spokesman added that police did not know what had been troubling the youngster.


Source

[Mrluvaluva]

Apparently there were people with mobiles filming him when he jumped. Is this how man is evolving? With no regard for human life just to get a cheap thrill. I am disgusted.

[Lauren]

That's really horrible.
I've read studies about this in Psychology where it's mob mentality. So evil though.

[Benjamin]

Goes to show that there are some sick bastards in this country. I hope a bus hits them. Evil wankers. Do they have no morals or conscience?

[Kevin]

Originally posted by Mrluvaluva
Apparently there were people with mobiles filming him when he jumped.

If that's true, that's bloody disgusting.

[Lauren]

I daren't even begin to consider how he must've been thinking. He's valued himself and his life as futile anyway, but then the added pressure/goading must've been horrible.

It really makes me sad to consider how he must've been thinking at that time.
I hope he is at peace.

[Mrluvaluva]

Originally posted by Kevin

If that's true, that's bl***y disgusting.

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.

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."


Source

[Shaun]

I hope the people who egged him on are haunted with guilt.

[Mrluvaluva]

Originally posted by Shaun

I hope the people who egged him on are haunted with guilt.

They will have that haunting image of him jumping with them forever. Mind you, it most probably won't bother them. They will be showing their mobile phone footage to their friends and family. Having a good laugh. It's most probably on youtube as we speak. Sick.

[Spike]

Thats really bad and shows there are some real cruel people in this world
They should be made to jump

[NettoSuperstar!]

Originally posted by Mrluvaluva

They will have that haunting image of him jumping with them forever. Mind you, it most probably won't bother them. They will be showing their mobile phone footage to their friends and family. Having a good laugh. It's most probably on youtube as we speak. Sick.

One day they will when they grow up!

[Chemicle]

Originally posted by Spike
They should be made to jump

I agree, evil bastards.

[JOSHUAH!]

I seen this on the news last week, its totally discusting what these people did. I just can't even..figure out why people are so nasty these days?

[Jake!]

This is terrible, well they have to live with themselves if they can.

[Chemicle]

Originally posted by JustJake
This is terrible, well they have to live with themselves if they can.

I hope it's them who are the next ones stood there, because i'd be there egging them on.

[hannah.]

I heard about this on the radio. Absolutely disusting

[Scarlett.]

I hope the guilt brings them to the same point he was at when he was at the top of that car park

[supernoodles!]

this is sick,i feel so sorry for the poor lad and his family,this must have been so disguting to see,im so angry some people are not right in the head.
R.I.P

[supernoodles!]

Originally posted by Chewy
I hope the guilt brings them to the same point he was at when he was at the top of that car park

[*mazedsalv**]

Vile people!!

[Porcelain]

What a shame.

[Killian]

This is repulsive -- they are the kind of people that are a shame to human kind.