A father-of-two from Leigh whose mental health began to spiral after a split with his girlfriend bought a ‘suicide pack’ filled with poisonous chemicals he used to end his own life.
Samuel David Dickenson had obtained the controlled poison online. The 33-year-old took the chemical at his flat in Wilkinson Street where he was later found unresponsive by emergency services in the early hours of March 11, 2020.
He managed to call 999 shortly before falling unconscious, giving his name and address until the line went silent, the North West Ambulance Service said.
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Police on the scene found the controlled chemical as well as a number of other items part of the ‘suicide pack’ he got online. GMP also found anti-sickness medication.
He had left a suicide note on his computer for his family which stated “I have decided to leave”. This was judged to be his way of saying goodbye. His last words for his former partner and their two boys were that ‘he loved them more than anything’.
Bolton Coroner’s Court heard how Sam’s family were ‘always at the end of the phone’ for him if he needed support. Karen Dickenson, Sam’s mum, believed his mental health had deteriorated leading up to his death following a split with partner.
She explained that he had become increasingly unhappy and decided that their eight-year relationship, from which they have two children, should come to an end. In the weeks that followed, the hearing heard Sam was sofa surfing until he found his flat in Leigh.
The plastic extrusion operator had been struggling with his mental health in the weeks leading up to his death, the inquest was told. Senior coroner Timothy Brennand believed he had an undiagnosed mental health condition that led him to have sporadic suicidal ideation.
“Everything has come as a complete shock,” Mrs Dickenson said in a statement. “He had no background of self harm or suicidal ideation.
“I could not believe what I was hearing, everyone is still in shock about this. I just wanted to know how he died.”
She went on to explain that one moment that stood out was when he broke down in the kitchen in tears - something he would never normally do.
Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Dickenson said: “He will be sadly missed by all his friends and family. We will be having a get together in a few weeks to see him off now the inquest is over.
“He was so well loved.”
The cause of death was chemical toxicity and a conclusion of suicide was recorded.
Concern over chemicals online, inquest hears
“There was real concern about the ready way members of the community are accessing these sites and source lethal chemicals that can bring about their own end,” Mr Brennand said. He went on to highlight the need to address this problem and thanked the police for their thorough investigation and report.
This coronal investigation was put on hold after Mr Brennand requested an investigation into the chemical used in Sam’s death and a number of other cases. The two-year long investigation from Greater Manchester Police has uncovered how this particular chemical, which the Manchester Evening News is not naming, had been purchased online by Sam and dozens of others across the UK and internationally.
The packs were being bought from chemical companies - who have not been charged with criminal behaviour - on the advice of online forums which are now being heavily monitored globally. Expert toxicologist Dr Julie Evans, giving evidence at the inquest, explained that this chemical has been a ‘phenomenal’ problem globally since the Covid pandemic emerged back in 2020.
Detective inspector Andrew Wright told the court of how 45 confirmed deaths in the UK and Europe out of just over 200 people who bought the ‘suicide kit’ have come from just one chemical company. There is a ‘potential’ that this number could be 60.
As few as eight to nine per cent of the 200 buyers were using the chemical for ‘innocent reasons’. The majority, like Sam, were buying the kit in a bid to end their lives.
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