A beloved British father of four livestreamed his suicide on Facebook — with one of his shocked and heartbroken friends being the one to alert authorities as the tragedy unfolded.
Paul David Hilton, 34, went live on the social media platform before hanging himself in his home in North West England on April 30, an inquest heard Tuesday, according to the Manchester Evening News.
A “number of friends and acquaintances” watched the distressing footage — prompting one of them to desperately call the police, the outlet reported.
Lewis Morrison said he received the notification and thought his friend’s livestream “would be something amusing” because “Paul was funny.”
He was shocked to witness the suicide and called for help right away.
Hilton’s feed was still going when paramedics arrived at his home just before 7 a.m., about six minutes after the emergency call was made.
The paramedics apparently realized what was happening and one of them turned off the live feed, according to Manchester Evening News.
The dad had apparently struggled with his mental health and had substance use issues.
A toxicology report said his blood alcohol level was two and a half times the legal limit at the time of his death and he had cocaine in his system.
“One of the most alarming and distressing features of this case is that he decided he would livestream events from his home and this was picked up by a small number of his friends,” coroner Timothy Brennand told the UK news outlet.
“There was a degree of preparation that demonstrates he was setting up and orchestrating the scene, to make sure his final moments were livestreamed,” he continued.
“That is the unusual, and if not unusual then the surreal reality of the evidence in this case.”
His mother, Carol, described him as a “loving father to four beautiful children.”
“Paul’s passing has left our family devastated. He was my firstborn son and big brother to Anthony, Paula and Emma,” she said, adding his mental health struggles began after he lost his grandmother in 2011.
“He was adored by so many people. Not just family, he had many, many friends, some of them over 30 years from primary school,” she said.
The moment you bring children into this world, your life belong to them. No self responsible father would kill themselves no matter how depress you are. And to go ahead and do it livestream is the act of a total loser. Imagine the mental trauma for those children.
Have a mental issue? Either deal with it like a man OR get help, no shame in that. Suicide is a permanent solution to temporary problems.
…in a perfect world, I agree with you 100%. But that is not the world we live in. We live in a world of expectation, need, greed and dysfunction. We have dysfunction on a genetic level, a developmental level, a cultural level, a familial level, society level, wealth level, poverty level and other additives such as addiction. As someone raised in a highly dysfunctional, terribly abusive home, I understand the path towards suicidal ideation…and the draw of such ideation. It comes from a different place for different people…and for different reasons. Sometimes it’s the combination of dysfunctional psychological mechanisms…sometimes it is anger….sometimes it is the need to strike back…revenge. Sometimes it is simply a broken person…from birth. Some people can be repaired, many cannot. Some have simply lost the will to live, to continue the fight…and they are tired of feeling different. Many have given in to regret and remorse….and just as many find it the simplest solution to their “problems”. One solution from those of us who still live…is to quit defining “being a man”…only from the “tough perspective”. By it’s nature, enforced…learned “toughness” leads to men who can’t admit to their thoughts and feelings…nor can they manage their problems while hiding behind their “Manhood”. Life is tough, and both sexes must be tough in their own way, as defined by their personality and genetics. It isn’t “toughness” that will reduce suicide. Teaching people to understand themselves, grow, and to be mentally, physically and emotionally healthy…that will help to reduce suicide