Man commits suicide over internet webcam...

[KLN]

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A father-of-two hanged himself live over the internet in the United Kingdom's first 'cyber suicide'.

Kevin Whitrick, 42, took his life after being goaded by dozens of chatroom users from across the world who initially believed he was play acting.

But as they watched in horror, Mr Whitrick climbed onto a chair, smashed through a ceiling and then hanged himself with a piece of rope.

Kevin Neil Whitrick, 42, was found dead by police in Wellington, after being alerted by a web user who is thought to have watched in horror as the man harmed himself

Stunned by what they had witnessed - broadcast on a popular chatroom website used by millions of people across the globe - chatroom users immediately contacted the police.

Officers rushed to the electrician's home in the Wellington area of Shropshire within minutes, smashing down the door to try to save him.

Kevin Whitrick had two 12-year-olds who he visited regularly

But despite their efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.Last night it emerged that Mr Whitrick had been suffering from depression after being badly injured in a car crash last year.

Friends said that the breakdown of his marriage with wife, Paula - with whom he had 12-year-old twins - and the recent death of his father had also been causing him some distress.

Mr Whitrick told users of web-chat site PalTalk what he was going to do two hours before he killed himself on Wednesday night.

He was logged on with around 50 other users to a special "insult" chatroom where people "have a go at each other".

Today distraught users of the site said that they felt sick and had previously thought the web broadcast was a hoax.

They confirmed Mr Whitrick told friends in the internet chat room of his plans to kill himself but, thinking he was joking, they egged him on telling him to make sure the his webcam was on.

Mr Whitrick, using the user-name Shyboy-17-1, switched on his webcam and went ahead with his grisly plan.

One anonymous user said: "He tied a rope around an uncovered ceiling joist and stood on the chair as he tied the rope around his neck.

"Some of us chatroom users, talking to Kevin over text chat, microphones and video tried to convince him to step down, but others egged him on telling him to get on with it.

"We just couldn't believe he was doing it - it was surreal.

"One chatter said: 'F***ing do it, get on with it, get it round your neck. For F***'s sake he can't even do this properly'."

Another user who did not wish to be named said: "When Kevin stepped off the chair and was left dangling, the mood in the chatroom changed and people began to realise what they had just seen.

"We started asking if anyone knew where he lived and saying they should contact the police.

"I think someone contacted the police in their local area but sadly no one could get to him in time."

Shortly after, moderators on the site closed the feed from Kevin's webcam.

'Considerate and kind'

Mr Whitrick had been living in his flat, a converted house, after splitting from his wife Paula two years ago.

The couple, who married in 1988, had 12-year-old twins Lewis and Melissa who live with their mother in a three-bedroom, semi-detached home close by.

They are said to have visited their dad, who worked at family firm RMW electrical services in Shrewsbury, at weekends. His older brother Malcolm Whitrick is an associate director at Shrewsbury Town Football Club.

[dawn9476]

Those people who goaded him into committing suicide are exactly why the internet has such a bad rap. His poor kids. I hope those people who were in that chat room are ashamed of themselves.

[darraholic]

I feel bad for his kids The chatroom people who were goading should be shot themselves.

[Mason]

If I were biting my tongue right now, it would be bleeding...

[SpiritualJunkie]

It's disgusting how some people can treat the issue of suicide so lightly. It's really unfortunate that this man decided to turn to a chat room instead of a mental health professional for help.

[juniorz1]

That's [!@#$%^&*] sick. How ignorant can people be? How could they not realize that this guy meant business? [!@#$%^&*] horrible. I really hate people. Really do.

[Tishy]

This sickens me that these people acted like this. I don't want them to be shot, I want this to weigh on their conscience until they are 106.

May this poor man rest in peace, he was obviously troubled.

[KBT]

I can't believe some of these people have the audacity to say things like that to a guy that was clearly troubled. I believe in karma, so they will eventually get their punishment one day.

[DrewH]

That's tragic, but I'm not going to blame the chat room users. They obviously thought he was joking and what kind of person jokes about that kind of things. First of all, why would he go into a chat room and talk about killing himself? No one in those chat rooms wants to hear that. They're there, for the most part, to get off with other people. So when they see something like that, it's like asking for it.

I don't blame the chat room users for "goading" him on. He made the final decision.

[bellcurve]

Well you were bold enough to say what everyone was thinking. LOL.

[Q Steph]

I agree.

[juniorz1]

At some point, these people knew what he was doing and still kept egging it on. When a person goes so far as to set up a noose and a chair, chances are they're going to hang themselves. These people watched and kept pushing. Sorry, but IMO that's sick.

Yeah he is the one who chose to end his life in the end, but encouraging it LIVE! on camera & in chat is morally reprehensible. As Kirk said, it will come back to them. And it should.

[DrewH]

He wanted the attention and he got it.

[Mason]

You don't kill yourself for attention. Whether they believed he was playing or not is irrelevant. It's disgusting to make a mockery of something so serious as suicide. I hope they're all haunted by this for the rest of their lives. They at least deserve that.

[DrewH]

I didn't say that you kill yourself because you want attention. Why would you go onto a chat room and tell everyone that? Attention. The fact that he killed himself is something triggered him in his mind. I feel bad for his family, not him. I'm sorry, but I don't feel bad about suicides. I feel for the families, not the victims. That victim chose to put their families through it. I understand that people feel bad about their lives. Get help before you get to drastic behavior like that.