Dylan Phelan, 21, from Yorkshire, has been sentenced to over six years in prison for encouraging Travis Dyer, 21, from Louisiana, to take his own life during a video call. Phelan also admitted to possessing extreme pornographic images and an indecent image of a child.
Luke Ashton's widow is suing Betfair for negligence after her gambling addict husband died £18,000 in debt. The claim argues Betfair failed to intervene as his losses mounted, potentially setting a precedent for the UK gambling industry.
Claude Lemieux's brain will be donated to Boston University's CTE Center for research into the long-term effects of repetitive brain injuries. Lemieux, who died by suicide at 60, played nearly 1,500 NHL games and won the Stanley Cup four times.
Over 100 young people aged 16-21 who left social services care in England died in the year to April 2026, with figures likely higher. The government described the deaths as a "stain on our society" and launched a review into support systems.
Brain trauma and football have become inexorably linked. But a recent Harvard study suggestions there are other dangers for football playersWhen an NFL player takes his own life, there is often speculation about why. Injuries and unemployment – a common occurrence in a violent sport where players are frequently traded and cut – have been linked with increased risks of suicidal ideation. In parallel to those factors, however, exists chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A degenerative brain condition caused by repeated trauma to the head, CTE’s links with football are established and almost impossible to ignore. Players ranging from widely admired Pro Bowlers such as Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, to those infamous for more notorious reasons, such as Aaron Hernandez and Phillip Adams, were all confirmed to have CTE by autopsies. (The condition can only be diagnosed posthumously.) All four players killed themselves.Such anecdotal observations imply a certain, coherent logic that connects playing football with suicide. Tackle football, by its nature, increases participants’ risk of head injury. Head injuries increase the likelihood of an affected individual attempting suicide. CTE is often the cumulative consequence of years of head injuries and, indeed, many high-profile NFL players who have taken their own lives have been confirmed to suffer from CTE. So it’s easy to reason that football and/or CTE, by their very nature, lead to an increased risk of suicide.In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
Holder went back to woman’s Cheltenham flat after night out and refused to stop assault even when she began cryingA co-founder of the clothing company Superdry has been jailed for eight years for raping a woman after a night out in Cheltenham.James Holder, 54, had been due to get a taxi back to his home in the Cotswolds with a male friend. Instead, the pair got into the victim’s taxi and went to her flat in the Gloucestershire town, where Holder raped her.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...
Review finds force missed clear signs 21-year-old’s death was result of violent predator’s grooming and degradationA catalogue of police failures in handling the suspected murder of a young woman in Northern Ireland reflected institutional misogyny, a report has found.The Police Service of Northern Ireland missed clear warning signs that Katie Simpson’s death in August 2020 was not suicide but the result of abuse and control, an independent review said on Tuesday.In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org Continue reading...
Figures for England and Wales prompt calls for more rigorous police investigations of casesOnly 3% of suicides related to domestic abuse in England and Wales in the past five years have resulted in any sort of prosecution, figures show.Between 2020 and 2025, 553 people took their own lives after suspected abuse in an intimate relationship, but only 17 posthumous charges were brought.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
NHS staff in England have made over 1,700 calls to Martha's Rule helplines since their launch in September 2024, with over 1,000 calls helping identify serious patient deterioration. The scheme, set up after 13-year-old Martha Mills died from care failings, has led to more than 500 ICU transfers and around 1,500 treatment changes. Martha's mother Merope Mills said a nurse who worried about Martha would have used the helpline had it existed.
Suicide-related callouts to fire and rescue services in England have tripled over the past decade, reaching 3,250 incidents in the year ending September 2025. Samaritans is calling for mandatory training for firefighters, who are often first on scene during suicidal crises but receive no formal intervention training. The figures coincide with rising national suicide numbers, which increased to 5,717 in 2024.
An inquest has concluded that 48-year-old Pawel Bukowski took his own life after suffering severe depression following a dental procedure in Turkey that left him without teeth for six months.
