Skydiver feared to have taken her own life after jumping 10,000ft from plane ‘had split with boyfriend before tragedy'
Jade Damarell, 32, died instantly after hitting the ground in Peterlee, County Durham, on April 27 earlier this year.
7
7
7
An inquest heard there were no signs of equipment failure but Jade's parachute never opened.
Her skydiving club, Sky-High Skydiving, later said the horror appeared to be 'a deliberate act'.
Durham Constabulary ruled out any third party involvement, and there was no suggestion of any wrongdoing or negligence by the skydiving centre.
It has now emerged letters were left behind by Jade which suggested she intended to take her own life.
As reported by MailOnline, Jade had broken up with her boyfriend Ben Goodfellow, 26, the day before her death.
Mr Goodfellow, who was also a skydiving enthusiast, had been in a relationship with the 32-year-old for around eight months.
A friend said dubbed the pair "inseparable" and claimed they "spent all their time together".
They had been living together in a lodge on the skydiving site since Christmas.
"The night before Jade died, they called off the relationship," claimed the source.
"He went to work the next day, and that's when Jade fell to her death."
Mr Goodfellow, a car technician and musician in the band Post Rome, has not spoken on the tragedy but cancelled performances due to "unforeseen circumstances".
The source added how he is "absolutely distraught" by Jade's death.
Coroner's officer Alexis Blighe said Jade's provisional cause of the skydiver's death was listed as "blunt trauma".
Crook Coroners's Court heard Jade's body was identified by Bryn Chaffe, the chief instructor at Ms Damarell's skydiving club.
7
7
7
Area coroner Jeremy Chipperfield adjourned the full inquest until August 21.
The tragedy unfolded on April 27 as Jade, who had completed more than 400 jumps, hit the ground at Wrefords' Farm.
Nigel Wreford, 56, who works on farm nearby, previously said: 'I've been told by quite a few people that she knew what she was doing — she had apparently left a suicide note.'
While a friend said at the time: 'This wasn't an accident. We believe she intended to take her life, sadly."
Jade studied marketing at university in Leeds before marrying solicitor James Damarell in 2019.
It was previously reported they lived in Yorkshire but are believed to have separated, with Jade later moving into rented accommodation used skydivers in Peterlee.
You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
Jade's family paid tribute following her death and called her a "brilliant, beautiful, brave and truly extraordinary person".
They said professionally, she was "exceptionally talented" and had found "freedom and purpose" with her skydiving.
The family added: "A bright, adventurous, free spirit, she lived with immense energy, passion, and love, and touched countless lives with her warmth and kindness.
"We miss her beyond words but Jade's love, brilliance, courage, and light will live on in our family and among all those who knew and loved her.
'Some stars are so bright they burn through their time too quickly – but their light never truly fades.
'We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone in the emergency services and the local first responders as well as the skydiving community. Your care and compassion mean more to us than we can express.
'Lastly, if you are struggling, please reach out. Talk to someone – a friend, loved one, or professional. You are never alone."
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
7
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Review Geek
a few seconds ago
- The Review Geek
Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror Review – One woman's thirteen-year nightmare
Season 1 Episode Guide Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Nearly a third of women and one-sixth of men will experience stalking at some point in their lives. This means millions of people across the world carry the uncomfortable trauma of being watched, followed and harassed. To make matters worse, only 1.4% of reported case (at least in the UK) end in conviction. Stalking and harassment is a growing and ever-present (for lack of a better word) societal problem. This troubling backdrop forms the crux of Hulu's latest docu-series, Stalking Samantha: 13 Years of Terror. As the title may allude, this documentary centers on a young woman called Samantha, who winds up terrified, harassed and eventually kidnapped by an unhinged guy called Christopher. Initially presenting himself as a socially awkward recluse at school, Christopher went out of his way to stalk and harass Samantha over the years, growing ever-bolder and more uncomfortable as time goes on. All of this eventually leads to the worst possible outcome. For Samantha, she manages to get closure for her story, but for many others that's not the case. The three episodes here document Samantha's harrowing ordeal, with the first giving a background into Samantha and Christopher's past, how they crossed paths and the beginning of the stalking. It starts as a bit of a joke between Samantha and her friends as Christopher persistently messages. Unfortunately, there's nothing funny about his behaviour, as it slowly gets worse. The second episode is where Samantha's kidnapping comes into view, and she goes into shocking detail about how she was grabbed in the middle of the night, bundled in her own car and taken to a secluded bunker. Eventually, this story culminates into the third and final chapter, where we see the mounting evidence against Christopher come to the foreground, as well as a couple of surprise inclusions. One of those includes the surprise of another woman who was stalked and harassed by Christopher, called Kelli. Her inclusion is necessary for this story but it's also oddly edited into the story. She only has a few words to say and she shows up midway through episode 3, almost like an afterthought despite how important she is to the backstory and mindset of Christopher's actions. We also don't really see anything of Christopher's family outside of a few recorded phone calls with his mother. However, this is very much a documentary designed to give Samantha a voice to tell her story, and in that respect, the show succeeds. On that same note though, I can't help but feel the docuseries missed a trick by not expanding out to the widespread problem of stalking in society, how damaging that can be to someone's life, and the ongoing struggles that this legally presents to different courts. Even just some legal understanding over how restraining orders aren't always dished out or how hard it is to prove stalking would have helped give this documentary a bit more weight. Stalking Samantha is nicely paced though and at only 3 episodes, there's enough here to prevent this one from dragging its heels. The story itself features a ton of evidence and a lot of archival footage, blending in with re-enactment scenes blurred and done tastefully so it never feels exploitative. There are also videos from police interviews, CCTVs outside the bunker and police cams from raiding Christopher's house. All of this works well to flesh out more of the story, and the reveals hit that much harder as a result. Ultimately, Stalking Samantha plays out as a cautionary tale, retelling one woman's awful ordeal and how, despite justice being served, she may never heal from the scars Christopher has left.
The Sun
2 minutes ago
- The Sun
Great-grandfather, 86, killed on way to chip shop by show-off drug dealer who was popping wheelies on e-bike
A GREAT-grandfather was killed on his way to a chip shop by a reckless drug dealer who was pulling a wheelie on an e-bike, a court heard. Dylan Green, 20, had his girlfriend as a pillion passenger on the bike, when he collided with 86-year-old Bart O'Hare in Burnley, Lancashire, in March last year. 2 Mr O'Hare, who had two granddaughters and five great-grandchildren, sadly died in hospital a number of days later. The great-grandad suffered head and chest injuries including a fractured skull. Philip Astbury, prosecuting, told the court how Mr O'Hare was thrown into the air following the collision, which happened when he was less than three metres into the roadway. Tyre marks showed Green's bike had returned to two wheels shortly before the crash but Mr Astbury said the wheelie had "entirely compromised Dylan Green's view of the road ahead of him". He said the e-bike had "never been recovered" - but analysis of CCTV found it was travelling 41 per cent faster than all other vehicles in the area at the time. Mr Astbury added: "Dylan Green and his girlfriend fled the scene on his e-bike, which has never been recovered." Mr O'Hare's daughter told Green, who was sentenced to eight years and three months' detention, that his actions had "broken my family". Marika Mausolf addressed Green from the witness box at Preston Crown Court on Monday and said: "Not once did you show any thought or concern for him after taking your girlfriend out on an illegal bike and pulling wheelies on the road with no consideration for my dad. "Your selfish attitude was to try and diminish your actions by leaving my dad to suffer so you could get rid of the bike. "You've broken my family in so many ways that I cannot begin to explain." Green has been sentenced to eight years and three months' detention. Moment unsuspecting painter is sent flying through air in terrifying crash after car comes out of nowhere Footage played in court showed Green, who was on bail for drugs offences at the time, pulling a wheelie as he drove down Accrington Road shortly after 4.15pm on March 22 last year. The wheelie lasted for 37 metres, the court heard. The collision was not shown on camera but in the moments after, Green could be seen returning on the bike, which was being ridden on the pavement. About 45 minutes later, Green returned to the scene with two other males, one who told a police officer Green was responsible but suggested Mr O'Hare "ran out in front of him", the court heard. Kristian Cavanagh, defending, said Green had demonstrated remorse "in his own way" and night terrors and panic attacks which he suffered were a reflection of how he felt. Recorder of Preston Judge Robert Altham told Green: "You should have been wearing a helmet. You should have been displaying L plates. You should have passed a basic test. You should have been insured. You should not have had a pillion passenger." He said: "Whilst you are undoubtedly sorry to be caught I do not detect any real remorse." Green, of Burnley, Lancashire, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by driving while uninsured. He also pleaded guilty to one count of supplying MDMA between July and October 2023, for which he was given a concurrent sentence of 12 months in a young offenders institute. He was disqualified from driving for 12 years and four months. Speaking outside court, Sergeant Paul McCurrie said: "That Friday, Bart left his house to go and pick up fish and chips for his tea, a journey that so many people will regularly make. "Bart didn't make it to the chip shop, or home that night, instead he was killed by Dylan Green's reckless driving." He added: "Driving in this manner is not and never will be acceptable. "When the worst-case scenario happens, as it did on that day last year, it leaves behind a wake of devastation to more people than you would imagine."
Telegraph
2 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Five officers under investigation after man dies in custody
Five police officers are being investigated after the death of a man in custody. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) began an investigation into the death of Ellis Rocks, 26, who was found unresponsive in custody earlier this month after he was arrested in a hotel in Wigan. The watchdog said two Greater Manchester Police officers were being investigated for potential gross misconduct, and a further three were under investigation for potential breaches of police standards of professional behaviour at the level of misconduct. An IOPC spokesman said the investigation remained in its early stages, but no concerns had been identified about any use of force by officers. The cause of death is yet to be revealed. Mr Rocks was detained inside the Britannia Hotel in Almond Brook Road in Standish just after 8.30pm on Thursday, July 31 and handcuffed and searched before being transferred to custody, the spokesman said. An ambulance was called by detention officers at about 2.30am the following day when he was seen to be unresponsive and lying on the floor. He died in the hospital on August 3. Amanda Rowe, the IOPC director, said: 'We have been in contact with Mr Rocks's family to update them on the progress of our investigation, and they have been informed of the latest development. Our thoughts remain with all family and friends and anyone affected by his death. 'While we've notified a number of officers they are under investigation, this does not mean that disciplinary proceedings will automatically follow. At the end of our investigation, we will determine whether any individuals should face disciplinary proceedings. 'It's important that we continue to carry out an independent and thorough investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident.' CCTV from the custody suite and body-worn footage from the arrest have been reviewed as part of the investigation. Following Mr Rocks's death, a GMP spokesman said the force was aware of 'comments and speculation online'. In a statement earlier this month, the force said: 'The man in question had been arrested on suspicion of drug offences, and in connection with an investigation into an assault in London. 'The arrest did not come in connection with any protest activity. The man was arrested at a location which does not house asylum seekers, and there were no protests in relation to this in Wigan on the day the man was taken into custody.'
