THE story of Kevin Boyle – the young man who starred as Jamie Oliver's apprentice as a teenager but was found dead with a 'suicide kit' in 2012 – shocked and saddened both his family and the people of Purley where he grew up.
After his inquest last week, both the coroner and his mother, Patti, are taking the issue of male suicide rates and the prevalence of websites assisting suicides right to the top by forcing the Prime Minister to take action.
Kevin, who lived in Old Lodge Lane in Purley, went missing in October 2011 when he was 26. He was discovered three months later in a garden in Coulsdon with a suicide kit bought over the internet.
However, at his inquest last Thursday, the coroner could not determine suicide due to the level of decomposition of his body and left the cause of death as an open verdict.
Patti appealed to the coroner to write to David Cameron and other politicians such as Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health under Rule 43 – a motion where the court writes to people or organisations to prevent future deaths.
"Rule 43s are rarely ever granted," said Mrs Boyle. "But the issue of these overseas suicide websites is becoming unavoidable. A quick Google search will give you hundreds of ways to kill yourself and also sell the equipment to help you do it."
Patti believes her husband signed for the delivery bearing the online kit which was addressed to Kevin on the day he went missing.
Mr Cameron now has 28 days to respond to the Rule 43, outlining how the Government will tackle the problem.
Kevin left 22 letters when he died to individual people explaining why he had taken his own life. "He lived with this darkness all his life and was never able to talk about it and process what happened to him," said his mother.
Kevin was sexually abused aged three but the information only came out when he was 15. Although he did receive care to help with his experiences, he was dismissed from therapy only a month before he died.
"Male suicide rates are currently 12 every single day – up from nine a day only two years ago," Mrs Boyle said, adding that twice the number of men kill themselves compared to women.
"Depression in men looks very different – they close up, become aggressive and uncommunicative. It often goes unnoticed until it is too late. Suicide is so taboo – no one is prepared to discuss it."
Patti has also set up an online help centre called Kevoirdo's Big Love where she talks to boys and men privately and anonymously about their depression and risk of suicide.
Back in 2002, Kevin had made it to the final 30 of Jamie Oliver's Fifteen venture – a social enterprise teaching youngsters to run restaurants.
He then worked in famous London venues like Le Caprice, St John and Smiths of Smithfield, and, in May 2011, began a campaign to find a financial backer for a restaurant in Purley.
