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Wales Online
01-07-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Website nobody can shut down linked to dozens of deaths
Website nobody can shut down linked to dozens of deaths The US-based website has been strongly condemned by a coroner after a 'cluster' of eight deaths (L-R) Matthew O'Reilly, Kelly Walsh and Samuel Dickenson (Image: Family handouts ) A controversial online forum linked to several suicides in Greater Manchester is still active, despite repeated warnings from police and a senior coroner. Manchester West coroner Timothy Brennand has raised concerns that the site may be putting more lives at risk. The Manchester Evening News, which first reported the story, has chosen not to name the forum because of its harmful content. The forum has been mentioned in at least six suicide inquests in Greater Manchester. These include the deaths of 45-year-old Kelly Walsh, 18-year-old university student Matthew O'Reilly, and Samuel Dickenson, a 33-year-old father of two. Their deaths involved a dangerous substance discussed on the site. Mr Brennand has written to the Home Office warning that more lives could be lost if the forum continues to operate without action. Useful numbers for dealing with your mental health There's help available if you need it: Mind Cymru infoline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm. To contact them call 0300 123 3393. Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (in the UK and Republic of Ireland this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill). C.A.L.L. (Community Advice & Listening Line) offers emotional support and information/literature on mental health and related matters to the people of Wales and can be contacted on 0800 132 737 or through the website. The NHS offers help and advice through its 111 service. He said police had found that people could easily access websites, mostly based in other countries, that give detailed information about how to take their own lives, including where to find dangerous materials and how to use them. He added that between 2022 and 2023, police linked 45 deaths in the UK and Europe to the use of one particular method shared online. Another 40 people were found to have bought materials with the intention of ending their lives. Article continues below Detective Inspector Andrew Wright, speaking at the inquest into Kelly Walsh's death, said forum users often shared instructions and encouraged others who were thinking about suicide. He explained that many of the posts offer advice on how to get the materials used in these cases. The website currently has more than 56,000 members and over 2.8 million posts. Some of these are personal stories of suicide attempts and deaths, often shared in distressing detail. Despite this, the site still appears to be available in the UK, including to young people. The forum's home page also includes a response to the Ofcom investigation, describing it as a 'clear and unprecedented overreach by a foreign regulator against a U.S-based platform'. It adds: "We reject this interference and will be defending the site's existence and mission." Ged Flynn, chief executive of suicide prevention charity Papyrus, said that online forums like this can be especially harmful to young people and others who are struggling. 'Those who peddle the gratuitous promotion of self-harm and suicide content online must weigh up the consequences before putting their work before the public, particularly young people and those who may be vulnerable,' he said. 'We believe many suicides can be prevented and we all have a role to play in making our communities suicide-safer. Young people need to know they are not alone and that professional help and advice is available right now. 'There is nothing better in our darkest hour to have a conversation with a person who can help us to navigate emotional distress and keep us suicide-safe. Our professional advisors are a lifeline to young people, their parents and friends when suicidal thinking becomes a reality.' Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, started investigating the site in April under the new Online Safety Act. The law requires websites and apps to protect users in the UK from harmful and illegal content, including anything that encourages suicide. A spokesperson said: 'In March, duties under the Online Safety Act came into force that mean service providers must now take steps to protect their UK users from illegal content and activity – including encouraging or assisting suicide. 'In April, we launched our first investigation under the Act, which was into the provider of an online suicide forum. Due to its nature, we have decided not to name the provider and forum. 'We made several attempts to engage with this provider in respect of its duties under the Act and issued a legally binding request to tell us what steps are being taken to protect UK users from illegal content. 'Having received a limited response to our request, and unsatisfactory information, we launched an investigation into whether the provider is complying with its legal obligations under the Act. We are currently gathering and analysing evidence to determine whether a contravention has occurred. 'If our assessment indicates a compliance failure, we will issue a provisional notice of contravention to the provider, who can then make representations on our findings, before we make our final decision. We will provide an update on this investigation as soon as possible.' If the site is found to be breaking the law, Ofcom has the power to fine it up to £18 million or 10 percent of its global income. In serious cases, the regulator can also ask internet companies or payment providers to block access to the site from within the UK. Article continues below A government spokesperson said: 'Our thoughts are with the families and friends of all those who have tragically lost their lives in these incidents. 'We have received the Future Prevention of Deaths Report from the coroner and we will consider it carefully. The Government keeps dangerous substances under constant review to ensure appropriate regulation and controls are in place. 'We also expect retailers to report any attempted or suspicious transactions of restricted materials under the Poisons Act, especially where the buyer may intend to cause harm to themselves or others. The Online Safety Act also requires platforms to remove illegal content, including that which encourages people to self-harm or take their own lives.'
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Warning after 45 deaths from mystery substance bought online - and at least 40 more have purchased it
A senior coroner has issued a warning following the deaths of 45 people who bought a poisonous substance online. Timothy Brennand said a further 40 people were known to have purchased the chemical 'with a view to having the means to use this method to end their life in circumstances' - and warned online forums were promoting its use. In a series of Prevention of Future Deaths reports concerning a 'cluster' of eight deaths in his region, the Manchester West coroner did not identify the poison except to say it is a food preservative which can be used in meat curing. But he also warned it was also a 'reportable poison as well as a reportable explosives precursor'. The deaths Mr Brennand investigated included that of Kelly Walsh, a 45-year-old businesswoman who was the girlfriend of ex-footballer Andy Woodward, the first victim to waive his anonymity to publicly accuse the late paedophile football coach Barry Bennell of child sexual abuse. Bolton Coroner' Court heard Ms Walsh died after taking a poisonous substance bought online at her home in Atherton, Greater Manchester, in February 2021. The other deaths investigated by the coroner were of Matthew O'Reilly, 18, who died at his student accommodation in Salford in September 2020, Samuel Dickinson, 33, Matthew Price, 37, from Bolton, Chantelle Williams, who died in May 2020 in Salford, Shaun Bass, 23, from Bolton, Andrew Brown, 45, from Wigan and William Armstrong, 24, from Horwich, Bolton. Mr Armstrong died at a local hotel after sourcing the unnamed chemical online from a Russian vendor. The coroner said that reporting restrictions had previously been imposed on the cases due to an 'ongoing criminal investigation in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States of America'. Mr Brennand said a police investigation into one UK-based business found it had supplied 247 customers around the UK and Europe in a 12-month period. Police established that 45 purchasers in the UK and Europe 'were confirmed as only 15 purchases were confirmed to have taken place for legitimate purposes (meat curing etc.)' In all 247 transactions, the coroner said: 'The vendors of the (poison) were not aware of this potential misuse of the substance. 'The small quantities being purchased had been incorrectly evaluated to be an increase in individuals pursuing recreational home-curing/food preservations as a hobby, being an artefact of 'lockdown' living following the COVID national pandemic emergency. 'Vendors were unaware that their website/details were being distributed as part of internet information platforms designed to aid, abet, assist or promote suicide methods. In his reports to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, and local police, ambulance and mental health officials in the North West, the coroner warned that current Home Office guidance does not 'reference (the poison) as a specific example of concern and focuses on the phenomenon of 'malicious' misuse and not deliberate misuse in the sense of suicide/self-harm.' He said the purchase of small quantities of the poison 'is being presumed to be connected to the many legitimate uses of the than in fact, being evaluated as a member of the public seeking purchase of modest quantities used as their chosen means by which to end life.' The inquest into Ms Kelly's death heard she purchased an unnamed poisonous substance after seeking out advice on an online forum which described itself as a 'safe space'. Mr Brennand warned about the prevalence of such websites that 'promoted information as to how to access' prepare and use poisons that could bring about death. Ms Walsh was found to have ordered the poison 'from an internet-based supplier in Lithuania'. Her actions were 'deliberate and intentional' and she had a declining mental health. The coroner said Mr O'Reilly died from a 'deliberate act of recent self-ingestion'. Mr Dickenson died in March 2020 in Wigan having left a suicide note. An opened sachet bag was found next to him. The coroner redacted the name of the substance it contained, but said it had been sourced the previous month from an online firm licenced to sell such controlled poisons. Mr Bass died in February 2020 having sourced a poison in similar fashion. He had suffered from depression and anxiety. The coroner said tests found that Mr Price had consumed a 'significant and fatally toxic quantity' of the unnamed substance, having sent an email to family members which 'contained unequivocal expressions of the deceased's intention.' Mr Brown, who had a history of mental health conditions, was found dead in August 2023 in circumstances that puzzled investigators as his motive still remains 'unclear'. The coroner said the most likely scenario that led to his death was a 'fleeting, ill-considered, irrational self-harming ideation'. Mr Armstrong, 24, had shown symptoms of a psychotic illness and ingested poison after checking into a hotel. He called 999 to report what happened but it took 89 minutes for the ambulance to arrive, by which time he was dead. Chantelle Williams, who had a 'complex medical history', first ingested a 'significant but non-fatal' dose of the substance in 2019 and checked into Salford Royal Hospital where she received care. Twice she managed to order the poison while still on the Keats Ward at the hospital and ingest the poison, with the second incident killing her in May 2020. The Home Office is required to respond within 56 days of the coroner's report.
CBC
26-05-2025
- CBC
Thunder Bay police sergeant's obstruction trial starts with former officer as first witness
Social Sharing Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) Staff Sgt. Michael Dimini pleaded not guilty Monday at his trial for charges of obstruction of justice and breach of trust. Dimini was originally charged in December 2023 following a nearly two-year Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigation. He was originally also charged with two counts of assault — one was dismissed and Dimini was acquitted of the other. The Crown said the breach of trust charge is based on a theory that Dimini went into an apartment on November 24, 2020, without authority to retrieve something stolen from his then father-in-law, and to arrest someone inside with an outstanding warrant. Retired TBPS Constable Kelly Walsh took the stand Monday to describe his recollection of how a call that night to retrieve a stolen TV from a Frederica Street apartment descended into "chaos" when Dimini showed up unannounced. Walsh said he saw a woman, who he would later find out is Cassandra Stachiw, on the stairs of the apartment building carrying a TV. Walsh said in court there was a warrant out for the arrest of Stachiw's partner, Derrick Turner. He added that Turner was known to be linked to the drug trade. Walsh said he and the other officers at the scene spoke to the woman to negotiate the return of the TV, but also tried to figure out if Turner was currently in the apartment. Thunder Bay police, oversight board promise to rebuild trust, as ex-chief faces charges 1 year ago Duration 0:48 Leadership of the Thunder Bay Police Service and its oversight board promises to reform as three current or former members of the service face criminal charges. Stachiw agreed to give them the TV, but didn't allow them into her apartment, Walsh said. Without a warrant or consent of the occupant, Walsh said they weren't legally allowed to enter, so they prepared to leave. Walsh testified that Dimini, who had a higher rank, showed up at that moment to the apartment, and got into an argument with Stachiw. According to 911 calls played in the courtroom, the TV had been stolen from Dimini's then father-in-law. "Chaos ensued," Walsh said. He testified that Dimini went into the apartment without a warrant or lawful authority in order to look for Turner. Out of concern for Dimini's safety, Walsh said he and the three other officers followed the sergeant into the apartment. "We really had no control of the situation when we went in there," Walsh said. Once inside, Walsh said they found Turner hiding in a closet, another person sitting on a couch, and a third repeatedly flushing a toilet in the bathroom in what they believed was an attempt to get rid of illegal drugs. They arrested Turner, Stachiw and one of the other occupants. Walsh said there was yelling and that Turner resisted officers. Witness alleges Dimini's report was 'fabricated' The Crown said the charge of obstruction of justice by making false statements against Dimini is based on the notes and report Dimini wrote to support Stachiw's prosecution. Walsh said after making the arrests, he was afraid they would get in trouble for entering the apartment without a warrant. "When you believe you shouldn't be in there, and now you're wrestling with a guy, you're just fearful you've committed a violation of somebody's rights," he said. Walsh described speaking to Dimini outside the apartment building after officers put the suspects into a police vehicle. "His words were, 'it might be a charter breach, but it's no big deal,'" said Walsh to the court. Dimini visibly reacted to hearing this inside the courtroom, putting his hand to his forehead and audibly swearing. Walsh said his account of events differs from Dimini's. "When I read his report, it was fabricated," he said. The report written by Dimini about the arrest that night was attached to the agreed statement of facts submitted to the court. In it, Dimini said police saw Turner carrying a TV on the building stairs and run into the apartment. The report also said that when officers walked up to the apartment, Stachiw answered the door and was uncooperative. "Police have the authority to enter her residence, as it was in fresh pursuit of Derek Turner," said Dimini in the report. Security footage played in court showed a woman holding a TV in the apartment stairwell. Walsh testified that the woman was Stachiw. She is seen answering the front door of the building, and Walsh enters with the officers. Turner is not seen until later in the video, when he is brought out by police in handcuffs. Cassandra Stachiw is scheduled as the next witness. Derrick Turner is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in an October 2021 murder at another residence on Frederica street, according to court documents.
CBC
21-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
B.C. is getting a new area code this weekend
If you're planning on opening a new phone line this weekend, you might be one of the first in B.C. to have a number with the new 257 area code. The new area code will be added to B.C.'s roster starting Saturday. It will join the existing codes 236, 250, 604, 672 and 778 in servicing residents throughout the province. The new area code will have no impact on existing phone numbers. Who comes up with new area codes? The decision was made by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in 2023, after the Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNA) advised that the area codes servicing B.C. were "projected to exhaust" by May 2026. The CNA is responsible for assigning Central Office (CO) codes — which are the middle three numbers of a phone number — within a new area code to telephone service providers once a decision has been made by the CRTC. CNA program manager Kelly Walsh says telephone service providers can apply for specific CO codes around 66 days before the relief implementation date, which is when a new area code is set to go into effect. For 257, that's this Saturday. Walsh says some service providers like to ask for "cool numbers" like 777, 377, 277 and numbers in the hundreds series, like 700, 500 and 200. What's happening to the old ones? The CRTC decided to add the 257 area code to B.C.'s mix because the possible phone numbers within the existing area codes in the province have started to run out. The new area code will be implemented via the "distributed overlay method" where new codes are issued to the same geographical area as pre-existing codes, meaning customers don't have to change their numbers. With this new area code, millions of new phone numbers can be created, according to the Telecommunications Alliance, a group of Canada's major telecom service providers that have joined forces to inform the public about the introduction of new area codes.
