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A man believed to have killed himself in the days after appearing on The Jeremy Kyle Show told his former partner that the programme was “responsible for what happens now” in his final text message to her, an inquest has heard.
Steve Dymond, 63, died of an overdose and heart problem at his home in Portsmouth seven days after filming for the ITV show in May 2019.
The 63-year-old had failed a lie detector test he took for the programme after being accused of cheating on his ex-fiancee Jane Callaghan.
Ms Callaghan, from Gosport, wiped her eyes with a tissue while giving evidence at the inquest into his death at Winchester Coroner’s Court on Tuesday.
The court heard that Mr Dymond sent a WhatsApp message to Ms Callaghan on 6 May 2019, saying: “This will be the last time I say it, I was never, never ever unfaithful to you, in all the time we were together.
“I hope The Jeremy Kyle Show is so happy now, as to what they have done to me. I did lie about my past, but not about me being a cheat, I never ever did cheat on you. They are responsible for what happens now, I hope this makes good ratings for them, I bet they keep this quiet.
“Never did I cheat on you, never, never. My final words. I did try to explain to you, but you would not listen.”
Earlier, Ms Callaghan told the inquest that Mr Kyle was rude and horrible to Mr Dymond when he appeared on the show.
The court heard that Mr Dymond asked to speak with Ms Callaghan immediately after the show while they were still at the studio. “He was just saying, begging me, saying it was wrong, it’s not right, it’s not the truth, it’s wrong, it’s wrong,” Ms Callaghan said.
She said she remembered Mr Kyle effectively telling her she was better off without Mr Dymond, when questioned by Maya Sikand KC, representing Mr Dymond’s son and brother.
However, later, Ms Callaghan accepted that she told a producer from the show that the presenter had been “great” the day after appearing on the programme.
Neil Sheldon KC, for Mr Kyle, suggested there was “not a single message” to her, from what Ms Callaghan could recall, in which Mr Dymond “complains about the way in which he was spoken to or treated by Mr Kyle”, and she agreed.
The court heard how Ms Callaghan and Mr Dymond met on a dating site in May 2017, broke up in February 2019, and then rekindled their relationship towards the end of March that year.
She said their plan from 31 March 2019 was to get on The Jeremy Kyle Show so Mr Dymond could do a lie detector test and prove he had not cheated so that the couple could get “closure” and move forward with their relationship.
She told the inquest she initially believed the lie detector test was 100 per cent reliable and accurate but later changed her mind.
The court heard earlier on Tuesday that Mr Dymond told his son, Carl Woolley, that Mr Kyle had egged on the audience to boo him and “everyone had jumped on him”. He said his father told him that the “lie detector had cast him as a liar – he said to me he wasn’t lying”.
Mr Woolley said his father had continued to be “very upset” in the following days and would call him up to six times a day.
Leslie Dymond recalled how his brother was “very distressed and consumed” by what had happened when he appeared on the show, the inquest heard.
In a statement, Leslie said of his brother: “He repeated that he had the result of a lie detector test which he did not agree with pushed in his face, and [was] called a traitor, with the presenter and audience all heckling him. Stephen told me he had been at the point of collapsing at the studio but he was still heckled.
“He mentioned trying to leave via a side door, but that it was locked and so he could not escape the jeering.
“He told me he had been on his hands and knees as he thought he was going to pass out from fear and stress ... He said he was worthless and that he could not face life any more.”
Coroner Jason Pegg told the hearing that the purpose of the inquest was not to “apportion civil or criminal liability” to any person involved.
The hearing continues on Wednesday.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
