Lord of the Rings fan died while on 'dream trip' to locations in the film
Joseph Snode's mum Elaine said their family are all massive Lord of the Rings fans, which is what drew him to New Zealand. She said: 'He wanted to visit the film sets, which was thrilling for him and for us to hear'
A Lord of the Rings fan was tragically killed in a car crash while hitchhiking to locations used in the films.
Joseph Snode, 26, from Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, was in a vehicle on his way to Christchurch in New Zealand when the driver giving him a lift lost control and crashed into a wall, an inquest heard. The former film and photography student had graduated with a first class degree from the University of Buckingham in High Wycombe before taking a bar manager job at to fund the backpacking trip, which had included a trip to the Hobbiton set.
Explaining the circumstances of Mr Snode's death, Coroner Michelle Brown told Essex Coroner's Court he had been "offered a lift by a lady and her teenage children". The woman was driving on the Otira Highway, on New Zealand's South Island, when the crash happened near Jacksons railway station on January 28 last year.
Ms Brown said: "The car drifted to the left side of the road before overcorrecting, rotating and sliding across both lanes. The rear left of the car hit a stone wall. Mr Snode, who was in the left rear passenger seat, died at the scene."
Ms Brown said it was "unknown" how the driver, who was later sentenced after admitting a charge of the careless use of a vehicle causing death, came to crash the vehicle. She ruled Mr Snode died from multiple head and chest injuries in a road traffic collision.
Mr Snode's body was repatriated to the UK after a £10,000 fundraising campaign, which also covered the funeral costs. On the online campaign page, his mother, Elaine, wrote: "He was literally living his dream life before it was taken from him." She added her son was "always full of life and a loving, caring, intelligent young man" who she described as "one-in-a-billion".
Speaking at the time of her son's death, Elaine the family had been overwhelmed by the wealth of loving messages from across the world.
She said: "He was loved by lots of people which has been obvious from all the donations we've had so far. Every day we've been hearing from people that he's met and stayed in touch with. He had a passion for photography. This was one of the reasons why he wanted to travel; he wanted to do photography and filming as he went around the world.
"He was always full of smiles, he made friends with everyone that he met. He was planning on travelling after leaving uni, but then Covid reared its ugly head and stopped that. He worked through uni at the student union bar and was promoted. He worked very hard in that for four years saving money. He worked at festivals like Glastonbury and Reading. He was asked to do higher up positions each time; he ended up managing people. He again made so many friends there.
"A lot of people said he was the sort of person that would help them if they were struggling, any problems he was always there. He was so kind and considerate, he just had a lovely way about him. He never judged anyone, he accepted people for who they were and tried his best to get on with everyone."
Elaine said their family are all massive Lord of the Rings fans, which is what drew Joseph to New Zealand. She continued: "He wanted to visit the film sets, which was thrilling for him and for us to hear. He stayed with his friend, we were just constantly getting photos from him and stories about people he was meeting. He loved being with people but also loved being on his own; going for a long hike, pitching his tent and being on his own with nature."
"He loved music, he had different genres for different times that he liked to share. Travelling is something he wanted to do since quite a young age, he never wanted to settle down in one place, he liked to meet people. He had his backpack and tent and would go on a walk and go down to the park with friends."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
I am UK's most-trolled influencer, mums tell me to kill myself & say I'm too fat to live – I attempted suicide over it
AS SHE uploads her latest makeup tutorial Miah Carter, braces herself as streams of comments come flooding in. Of the thousands of messages the 22-year-old will receive, she knows at least half will be from vile trolls branding the 22 stone influencer 'disgusting' and even telling her to kill herself. 7 These messages - coming in by the dozen - are horrific. But sadly for Miah this is not a one-off. 'I must be one of the most trolled influencers in Britain,' she tells us. 'The hate almost broke me, but I am determined not to let it get to me. 'I am subjected to a new 'toxic high' of brutal 'troll targeting' every day. No one should have to live with this.' Miah says there seems to be no consistency to her trolls who she says range from just six to people in their 40s. 'I have had primary school aged children and mothers tell me to kill myself,' she says. 'It got so bad I tried three times to take my own life. If it hadn't been for my partner and mental health professionals, I would be dead. 'More must be done to protect people like myself online.' Bullied on council estate Miah lives in Reading, Berks with her boyfriend of eight years, Marley 23, a bricklayer. She grew up watching other people's lives on social media and found it an 'escape'. Trolls tell me I'm 'punching' with my hot husband & constantly ask why he's with me, but size isn't everything 'Like most people my age I have been active on social media since I was a child,' she says. 'I grew up in a council house on a rough estate and was bullied for being overweight. 'I was a big child, my dad is bodybuilder and big-boned, I was always plus size. 'I was wearing women's clothing in primary school. I was mixed race and hated for being overweight, obese and different. 'School bullies loved trying to physically assault me or verbally attack me. 'Watching other people's lives on social media was an escape.' Miah left school at 16 and studied acting at college before starting work on the makeup counter at a local Boots store. 7 7 'I was a size 24 and weighed 22st,' she says. 'I am good at doing makeup and good at selling the best makeup products for a person's skin.' Miah admits she was determined to make it as a social media influencer and in March 2020 at the start of lockdown began posting makeup tutorials on TikTok. 'I quit my job and gambled it all on social media success,' she says. It wasn't until September 2020 when Miah shared a post of herself crying about being unhappy with her weight, she went viral for the first time. 'I posted a video with no makeup, crying and upset about my size, weight and looks,' she explains. 'I didn't expect it to get a reaction and was shocked when it did.' Within 24 hours Miah had gained 10,000 followers and within a week she had another 50,000 fans. 'People praised my honesty and realness which is a rarity online,' she says. 'But there was an element of people wanting to see other people suffer and fix what was upsetting them.' The increased interest in her account prompted Miah, who at the time was a size 24-26 and weighed 22 stone, with a BMI of 50.5 to focus on losing weight and sharing that journey with fans. 'I used the TikTok fashion challenge to lose weight which is targeting your weight loss to fit into a favourite pair of jeans or dress you were too big for,' she says. Imagine being trolled by mums and kids in primary school. It was soul destroying Miah Carter 'I ate healthy lean meats and fruit and vegetables.' Miah posted updates on her weight loss, shared her thoughts, her ups and downs and fan favourite makeup tutorials. 'I was very honest, and my followers applauded that and with their support I lost four stone,' she says. When she reached 18st Miah admits she was hit by the realisation that she wasn't being authentic to her body type. 'I decided to be what I wanted to be and post about plus size positivity,' she explains. 'I could spend all my life trying to be the 'super thin' girl and hate myself or be the 'Miah girl.' 'That year I chose to be the 'Miah girl.'' When Miah hit 200,000 followers in January 2022, the trolling increased dramatically. 'I'd post a video and within 24 hours the trolls had gathered,' she says. 'I was told to kill myself and that I was so fat I didn't deserve to live. 'A six-year-old told me to kill myself. It started a rapid decline in my mental health.' Miah also lives with a skin condition known as Acanthosis Nigricans which causes her skin pigmentation to darken around her mouth and neck and found herself targeted for her suffering. She explains: 'The haters attacked my skin condition. I was told I was dirty and 'needed to wash.' 'I was told I was 'disgusting,' a 'waste of space' and a' bad example'. 'I was even targeted with racist abuse, the haters had no limits to how much vitriol they spewed at me.' Miah says many of the trolls were women and even mothers. 'Imagine being trolled by mums and kids in primary school. It was soul destroying,' she says. Within months Miah explains she had tried to take her life on three separate occasions. She admits: 'I was broken by the hate. I was just trying to share my life and be positive.' With the help of mental health professionals the 22 year old slowly recovered. WHAT IS THE UK LAW ON TROLLING? Trolls love to use public platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to sew the seeds of abuse. If you're getting horrible messages to your private inbox that's not trolling, it's bullying. Online bullying has grown by 88 per cent in just five years, with thousands of children and teenagers being targeted. But just because you have a Twitter account, doesn't mean you should have to put up with it. In October 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) introduced new laws that could see those who create 'derogatory hashtags' or post 'humiliating' Photoshopped images JAILED. Inciting people to harass others online, known as virtual mobbing, is among the offences included in the guidance. Baiting – when someone is humiliated online by being branded sexually promiscuous – is also mentioned in the guidance. The CPS also announced the launch of a hate crime consultation, issuing a series of public policy statements centred on combating crimes against disabled people, as well as racial, religious, homophobic and transphobic hate crime. Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders said: 'Social media can be used to educate, entertain and enlighten, but there are also people who use it to bully, intimidate and harass. 'Ignorance is not a defence and perceived anonymity is not an escape. Those who commit these acts, or encourage others to do the same, can and will be prosecuted.' Some people worry that the new guidelines on social media pose a threat to freedom of speech. But Miah credits her boyfriend, Marley who she met when she was 15, with being the inspiration she needed to live again. 'We were sitting on a bus one day and I was crying looking at the comments,' she says. 'He told me to ignore those people and to 'live my dream.' He was right. 'It was life changing.' Miah has had 'live my dream' tattooed on her arm and said that show of love from Marley was what she needed to stand up to haters. 'I used to spend hours deleting trolling comments,' she says. 'Often, I couldn't keep up with the hate. I'd delete one comment and another would pop up. 'Instead, I decided to ignore the trolls. To let the comments stay. I was not going to validate the haters by spending my time deleting what that'd written.' Miah also realised trolls actually helped her to earn money. She says: 'It's a weird situation. The more people who watch your videos the more you earn. 'If you are trolled the social media algorithms notice the 'peaked interest' and feed more potential followers and yes potential haters to you. 'I realise the haters' hate, was actually in a weird way, paying off.' A study by Avast, an international consumer brand trends company discovered trolling is on the rise. In Britain almost two-thirds of 16–24-year-olds or a staggering 64% admitted they have trolled someone else online. While studies found that impacted up to 5% of British internet users who found themselves victims of cyber bullying A 2017 Ofcom study reported that 1% of UK internet users experienced online trolling with that number increasing to 5% among Gen Z or 16-24 year olds. While in the year ending March 2023, more than 847,000 children aged 10 to 15 in England and Wales had experienced online bullying behaviors Miah, a Gen Z member, reported the hate she experienced to social media website companies but admits there is very little they could do. 'There are no universal global laws against hate or hate crimes which trolling is,' she says. 'People use fake profiles or nameless profiles. I found many people who used established platforms, but a reprimand doesn't stop their 'free speech.' In February 2025 Ofcom launched new draft guidance aimed at improving the experience of women and girls online. Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom's chief executive, aims to produce a "proper blueprint" for protecting women and girls online if tech first adopts it. 'I have shared my online bullying with a tech firm, but they could do nothing,' Miah says. 'The draft could work but only with international support and tough penalties. 'It's commendable but my experience shows without global agreement nothing will change. 'There is nothing the police can do, and we need to. 'That doesn't mean trolling is OK or acceptable, 'It means people like me have to endure a terrible toxic level of hate which increases daily.' Miah now has more than 3.3million followers on TikTok alone and has amassed 123.3 million in likes. The 22-year-old admits her success has been life changing saying it has allowed her to treat herself and her partner to holidays and herself to designer goods. In October 2024 Miah revealed she was to undergo a gastric sleeve surgery free on the NHS. 'I had put on weight and crept up to 32st,' she says. 'I was working hard and dealing with the hate made me comfort eat. "I had let the abuse have a physical side effect of trolling. "It undid all the work I had done losing weight when I first started on social media.' Miah underwent the NHS procedure at Kings College in London in October last year. 'I shared everything on social media and even though I was losing weight the haters have continued to attack me. Miah now weighs 22 stone and is a size 18-20. 'I feel healthier, happier, and re-inspired,' she says. 'Every day I get messages from fans all over the world. They thank me for having the guts to put myself out there on social media. 'I get praised for my confidence, my makeup looks, and my positive approach to life.' The 22-year-old now boasts deals with Charlotte Tilbury, Lancome and Maybelline and refuses to let the haters hate. 'You have to create your own tribe and be loyal to it,' she explains. 'The trolls, the haters, the so-called keyboard warriors are white noise. They are little people with little ideas. 'I may be one of the most trolled women in Britain; however, I know it has made me stronger, tougher, and more determined to stand up for people who cannot stand up for themselves.' If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123. 7 7 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: CALM, 0800 585 858 Heads Together, HUMEN Mind, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans, 116 123
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Bracknell man admits 46 thefts from town's shops
A thief has admitted stealing items worth nearly £7,500 in 46 different trips to three shops in about five Frape, 36, from Bracknell, admitted the thefts between 9 January and 20 May at Reading Magistrates' Court on 28 stole £6,309.02 worth of wine and groceries from a BP garage in Bagshot Road, Bracknell, during 40 visits, took items worth £570 from Tesco Express in Horndean Road in five trips and £543.96 of clothing from Sports Direct in the who also admitted assaulting a police officer at the BP garage on 10 February, was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at the same court on 17 June. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Olly Stephens: Murdered boy's death 'sparked change', says friend
"Keeping your worries private is not the right thing for young people to do."A friend of a 13-year-old murdered by two schoolboys over a dispute on social media has set up a podcast to help raise awareness of what young people are facing Stephens was ambushed and fatally stabbed in a field in Reading, Berkshire, in 2021. Two schoolboys were convicted of his murder later that friend Demi said: "It was an awful thing that happened but I feel like a lot of good has come out of it." The 17-year-old, from Reading, said she believes children feel "like they are almost protecting their parents and don't want them to understand the things they're going through"."But I feel like this dynamic has to change," she said. "At the end of the day, it's the parents' job to protect their children, so they need to be aware of what's happening."Speaking to Radio Berkshire, Demi said her podcast, called The Silent Pressures, is not just a conversation with young people."Including parents in the conversation gives them a resource to help their kids and educate themselves," she explained. "It's a shame that something so devastating [Olly's murder] has to happen for conversations like this to start."It was an awful thing that happened but I feel like a lot of good has come out of it, especially for me and my friends, as it has started a lot of conversations for us."These were issues we weren't aware were issues until they happened to us and now they have sparked change."Demi said it had helped "open my eyes - and a lot of other people's eyes around me - towards what social media is truly like." Her podcast, she said, was a "good way to make young people feel like people are listening to their problems".Demi believes more parents and children are talking about the issues now."I think parents are beginning to understand that they shouldn't give their children access to a phone and social media, especially at such a young age," she said."Although, I still think there is still a lot to improve." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
