A British man has been jailed after he encouraged a vulnerable 21-year-old in the US to kill himself over a video call has been jailed for six years and four months.
Dylan Phelan, also 21, from Morley, West Yorkshire, was in an online group that repeatedly goaded Travis Dyer to kill himself in Louisiana in October 2024.
Mr Justice Cotter, sentencing at Leeds Crown Court, said Phelan was motivated by “morbid curiosity” and that Mr Dyer, who was struggling with his mental health, needed help and support.
Phelan admitted encouraging suicide, making an indecent image and possessing extreme pornography.
The judge told him: “You wanted to feel like you had control over the actions of another.
“You showed no respect for the life of Travis Dyer.”
The court was told that Mr Dyer had suffered a series of tragic losses in his family, including losing his mother and sister to drowning.
His great-grandmother Vivian Mahoney, who followed proceedings from the US via a videolink, said in a victim statement: “Travis Dyer was a shy, smart and resilient young man who survived more tragedy than most endure in a century.
“He was deeply adored and had a bright future ahead of him.
“That future was stolen.”
Andrew Pettersen, prosecuting, said Phelan joined an online community on messaging app Discord, where people shared thoughts about their mental health, but this was not a support group.
In the run up to killing himself, Mr Dyer had carved Phelan’s name into his body, the court heard.
And on 20 October 2024, he was on a video call with the defendant and two others, known as Mads and Rob, the court heard, when Mr Dyer took his own life.
Phelan encouraged him several times to take his life, the court heard, and laughed when he finally did.
