A mum who lost her son to suicide has told of her horror after learning that a 'sicko' posted a video of his body online. Jacob Morse, 22, was jailed after he took a video of Daniel Knott and shared it on social media.
Morse was one of the first people to find Daniel, who died in March last year, Wales Online reports. Earlier this week Morse, of Llysonnen Road, Travellers Rest, on the outskirts of Carmarthen, was sentenced to six weeks in prison during a hearing at Llanelli Magistrates' Court.
He pleaded guilty to circulating a video on social media that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character. The video has been taken down from the internet, but Daniel's family are angered that he was not sentenced to a longer jail term and want more regulations put in place to stop anything like this happening again to another family.
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Daniel's mum Jenny Tancock said: "To lose a child is the worst thing anyone could experience. To lose a child to suicide adds another level of pain. To then find out that some sicko has filmed our son there, so vulnerable, beggars belief."
She added: "I haven't seen the video, I couldn't watch it but the thought of it is unbearable. It is worse than if he had walked into my house and hit me over the head with a baseball bat. It is hard to explain the pain but it is a physical thing."
For now Jenny wants to remember her "beautiful son". "From the day he was born he was a larger than life character: hyper-intelligent, bright, funny, quirky, rebellious, sometimes naughty, but oh-so-full of energy and life," she said in a victim impact statement that was submitted to the court.
"He oozed love and affection - he had a truly beautiful, kind soul. To say Dan saw the world differently would be an understatement. On the one hand it could be a scary place for him and he had his ‘demons’ as they say. On the other hand he saw the beauty in everything and everyone. He was always kind and generous."
Unfortunately a car accident seven years ago was life-changing for Daniel, who suffered a fractured skull and broken back in the collision. He was struggling with severe pain and hated his mobility issues that had robbed him of many of the things he loved to do, and in March last year it got too much for him.
Jenny said: "Daniel’s funeral was on Saturday, 15 April. Well over 200 people came to pay their last respects and we, his family and friends, have received countless messages of condolence. So many people that have known Dan from childhood to adulthood have taken time to contact the family with their own stories and memories. Every single one mentions his kindness, empathy and compassion for others.
"Daniel was fiercely loyal to friends and always, always stood up for the underdog, always seeking justice. He could never tolerate a bully but, sadly, throughout his life he came up against quite a few of them. Unbelievably even in death, Daniel has had to face the indignity and callousness of a bully. Jake Morse has taken our grief and amplified it tenfold - he has tainted the memory of our lovely son in the most cruel and undignified way.
"For this man to then share it online, where it has gone ‘viral’ for the world to see, is unbearable. I have not seen the video, I have only seen a screenshot, as I don’t think I could bear it - but imagination is probably just as unbearable. It is all I can think about. It is tormenting me every minute of every day. Countless numbers of people from our communities, as well as nationally and even internationally have seen it and all have expressed their absolute disgust and horror at what Jake Morse has done. We as a family have sadly learnt that the internet is no longer just something that is ‘out there’ - it has touched us in the here and now, deeply affecting us in the real world in a truly devastating way."
Now, Jenny has pledged to campaign to stop anything like what has happened to her family happening again. "What this man has done to my son, his family and friends, at the worst time of our lives, is something I intend to campaign against in the future in order to raise awareness and deter others," she said.
"Nine weeks is not long enough for what he has done but that fact our justice system is also being seen to be condemning this man’s actions will go a long way towards ensuring that this sort of sick deed is never repeated again."
* You can contact the Samaritans for non-judgmental advice 24/7, 365 days a year, by calling 116 123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.org. They also have an online chat service and a self-help app, or you can write them a letter.
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