Jeremy Kyle guest had taken previous overdoses, inquest hears

Picture credit: Family supplied photo/PA Media

Steve Dymond was discovered deceased at his residence a week following his appearance on The Jeremy Kyle Show.

An individual who appeared as a guest on The Jeremy Kyle Show reportedly passed away by suicide not long after being on the show, an investigation has revealed. The person had previously tried to take their own life on multiple occasions.

Steve Dymond, who lived in Portsmouth, passed away a week after recording for the ITV program in May 2019.

The man, who is 63 years old, underwent a lie detector exam on the program following allegations of infidelity from his former partner, Jane Callaghan.

Mr. Dymond had attempted to overdose three times before, and had been diagnosed with depression and a personality disorder, according to the inquest held in Winchester.

It has been reported that Mr Dymond was discovered deceased at his residence on Grafton Street on May 9, 2019. The cause of death was determined to be a combination of a morphine overdose and a heart condition.

Before, it was said in court that he was upset after receiving negative reactions from the audience of the show.

ITV canceled The Jeremy Kyle Show in May 2019 after the tragic death of Mr. Dymond.

His previous doctor, Dr. Amjad Rehman, who first saw him in March 2019, described him as "extremely nervous and repeatedly scratching his arm."

The doctor informed the investigation that he had been feeling extremely sad for a month and had been apart from his significant other.

"He confessed that he was always being dishonest with her. His constant lies led to him leaving home and seeking shelter in a bed and breakfast."

In the inquest, Mr. Dymond mentioned that he had been thinking about stepping into traffic and feeling like he wanted to take his own life.

The general practitioner mentioned that he quickly sent a request for a mental health evaluation for Mr. Dymond. The assessment determined that Mr. Dymond was at a low risk for suicide.

Before, Mr Dymond had attempted suicide in 1995, 2002, and 2005 and had been hospitalized under the Mental Health Act for his own protection, according to the inquest.

The judge listened as the doctor penned a public message that Mr. Dymond asked for so he could go on television.

Dr Rehman stated that he was unaware of the actions of the individual on the television program.

"He stated that he needed to demonstrate something important to his future spouse... It was a crucial situation for him."

During the inquest, it was reported that the doctor mentioned Mr. Dymond had experienced feelings of sadness and depression in the past, but his emotional state had improved after reuniting with his partner.

The message mentioned that he was not using any pills.

In a recent court hearing, Neil Sheldon KC, the barrister representing Mr. Kyle, brought up the four past instances of overdosing and noted that Mr. Dymond had considered taking his own life six weeks prior to writing the letter.

He inquired the doctor: "So you summarized all that information into a statement in the letter mentioning that he has a background of feeling down and suffering from depression?"

Dr Rehman informed the panel that the mental health professionals did not confirm Mr. Dymond's suicidal intentions.

On Tuesday, Mr. Dymond's son, Carl Woolley, informed the inquest that his father believed he had been unfairly portrayed as a dishonest person on the television program.

He said his dad was really upset because people were calling him a liar and criticizing him. He felt like everyone was attacking him and he was feeling disconnected.

During questioning at the inquest, Rachel Spearing asked Mr. Woolley who had accused him. He responded by saying that Jeremy Kyle had influenced the audience to provoke and criticize him, portraying him as a liar even before he had a chance to defend himself.

During the investigation, he mentioned that his father would contact him up to six times daily after the incident, and he seemed really upset.

He explained that he attempted to persuade him to keep receiving support from ITV aftercare.

He mentioned that he was receiving assistance and follow-up care from the counselors on the show.

I told him he should reach out to them and continue calling them to receive the necessary follow-up care.

Photo credit: Steve Dymond's Facebook profile

Mr. Dymond's ex-partner claimed that he came up with the idea to appear on the show in order to demonstrate that he had not been unfaithful.

During the inquest, snippets from a letter written by Mr. Dymond were shared by Ms. Spearing for his son to hear.

"I have never cheated on Jane, and it's really hurting me that everyone thinks I have. I did lie to her many times, and that's why she doesn't trust me."

Ms Callaghan, who used to be in a relationship with Mr Dymond, testified in court on Tuesday that they had connected on a dating website in May 2017 and stayed in a relationship for approximately two years.

She mentioned that the relationship ended because she discovered that he had been dishonest about his past.

She mentioned that Mr. Dymond came up with the idea to go on the show in order to demonstrate that he had not been unfaithful.

Following the test, he explained that the inconclusive results were due to the fact that he had not been completely truthful in the pre-testing questions about his history.

After the relationship ended, she mentioned that she was bombarded with numerous phone calls and messages from Mr. Dymond. She explained that he was extremely distressed about the breakup.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Mr. Dymond's final text message to Ms. Callaghan, which was sent on May 6, 2019, strongly stated that he had never been unfaithful to her.

"I hope the Jeremy Kyle show is feeling pleased with themselves for what they have put me through," he penned.

"They have control over the outcome at this moment, and I hope this results in high viewership for them."

If you are dealing with any of the problems mentioned in this article, help and guidance can be found through the BBC Action Line.

Do you have a news tip or a story idea that you think BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight should report on?