'The Jeremy Kyle Show' guest Steve Dymond's death 'suspected suicide' due to morphine overdose and heart problem
A guest on 'The Jeremy Kyle Show' who was found dead just days after he was accused of cheating on his fiancee on the show. It is suggested that he died of a morphine overdose and a heart problem in a suspected suicide, an inquest hearing review said. Steve Dymond, a 63-year-old construction worker, had appeared on the tabloid talk show on May 2, 2019, to take a lie-detector test to prove to his fiancee Jane Callaghan that he had not cheated on her. However, he failed the test and they split up soon after.
On May 9, paramedics found him dead in his home in Portsmouth, Hampshire, with South Central Ambulance officials stating he had already been dead "for a number of days" when they reached him. Speaking at a pre-trial review on Friday, July 3, Hampshire Coroner Jason Pegg said Dymond had died of a morphine overdose and left ventricular hypertrophy, which is when the left chamber of the heart is not pumping properly. The BBC reported that Sgt. Marcus Mills had told a previous examination hearing that the Dymond's death was a suspected suicide and that empty morphine packets had been scattered next to his body.
According to the Sun, Dymond's family demanded during this recent hearing that Jeremy Kyle be called to give evidence at the inquest, considering his role in the construction worker's death. "The lie detector test ‘result’ indicated that he was lying when he said he was faithful to his girlfriend, despite him being adamant that he had been faithful," said Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC on behalf of Dymond's brother, Leslie, and his cousin Gerald Brierley.
"Mr. Dymond was extremely distressed by his experience at 'The Jeremy Kyle Show,' a program which has been described by a judge – when sentencing a former contestant -- as 'human bear-baiting,'" she said. "Following (Mr. Dymond's) death, the show was axed and widespread concerns were raised regarding the format of the show, its selection, and treatment of participants, and aftercare."
Dymond was reportedly devastated and also suicidal after being confronted in the TV studio about the allegations of his infidelity and called his friends in tears after filming the show. Before his death, he is said to have sent a tragic final text to Callaghan telling her he could not live without her. "I can’t live without you. I just wanted to come and see you," he allegedly wrote. "I just wanted to say sorry before I go. My life is not worth living without you."
Callaghan had subsequently shared that he was depressed. "He wanted to go on. He was really excited and confident. But it was all a front and I knew it. He wasn’t well at all," she said.
The controversial lie-detector test that has been blamed for his death was conducted by Guy Heseltine and Tim Burgess from Manchester's UK Lie Tests. The family has asked for Heseltine to be involved in the inquest as well.
However, Pegg, who held the hearing via video-link, had to abandon the hearing due to technical difficulties. "It's inappropriate to continue. It is necessary for the pre-inquest review to be heard in public and, when people dialing in cannot hear proceedings in full, it's not a public hearing," he said.