Jeremy Kyle could have 'caused or contributed' to death of Portsmouth's Steve Dymond who failed lie detector test on ITV show

JEREMY Kyle may have ‘caused or contributed’ to the death of one of his guests on his controversial programme and will be an ‘interested person’ for the inquest into Steve Dymond’s death, a pre-inquest review heard.
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Mr Dymond ‘couldn’t face life any more’ after being accused of cheating on ITV’s The Jeremy Kyle Show.

The Portsmouth 63-year-old was left on his ‘hands and knees’ and ‘broken’ after failing a lie detector test on the show where presenter Mr Kyle was ‘in his face’.

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Just seven days later on May 9, Mr Dymond’s body was found at his rented room in Grafton Street, Buckland, after going on the programme with his ex-partner Jane Callaghan. He is suspected to have died by suicide.

Jane Callaghan with Steve DymondJane Callaghan with Steve Dymond
Jane Callaghan with Steve Dymond

His partner had made claims over Mr Dymond’s infidelity - with Mr Dymond going on the show to prove he was not a cheat.

But the dad-of-one’s mental wellbeing plunged after the show with him admitting he was anxious over the fallout.

The explosive show was axed shortly after Mr Dymond’s death.

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Portsmouth man failed lie detector test on Jeremy Kyle Show before death
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At the pre-inquest review, held at The Castle in Winchester today, Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg confirmed that Mr Kyle will be an ‘interested person’ in the subsequent inquest to consider whether his acts ‘may have caused or contributed to Stephen Dymond’s death’.

The coroner added: ‘I will be seeking Jeremy Kyle to give evidence himself.’

The decision was welcomed by Mr Dymond’s family barrister Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC who told the hearing they had ‘concerns’ over the submissions of Mr Kyle and ITV.

Ms Gallagher revealed Mr Kyle’s submission stated the coroner ‘cannot conclude the experience of Mr Dymond on the show caused his death’.

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Ms Gallagher said: ‘This is an astonishing assertion - we simply do not accept.’

The barrister, arguing over the scope of the future inquest, then highlighted revelations in the statement of Mr Dymond’s brother, Lesley.

Mr Dymond phoned his brother after the show where his devastation at events on the show were laid bare. ‘He told his brother Jeremy Kyle had been in his face,’ he said.

‘He was jeered and called a fake by the presenter.’

In Lesley’s statement, he revealed the desperation of his brother after the show. ‘He said he was at the point of collapse after being heckled and tried to leave by a side door but it was locked.’

He added: ‘He was on his hands and knees.

‘He couldn’t face life any more.’

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Ms Gallagher also revealed details of messages between two members of the show’s production staff.

‘Just to let you know he (Mr Dymond) is still crying. He just said “I wish I was dead”,’ the text message said.

In the days after the show Mr Dymond repeatedly spoke to Lesley where he revealed his despair and kept saying he ‘wanted to end his own life’.

Ms Gallagher said Mr Dymond also exchanged ‘multiple calls’ with his son Carl following his ‘horrendous experience on the show’.

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The barrister also added that the family had concerns over additional footage of the show being withheld by ITV before it was finally released ‘many months later’ in August.

But she raised questions over whether the ‘entirety of the footage’ had been disclosed and if the coroner had been given it. ‘Something needs to be done,’ she said calling for a witness statement on the matter, before adding: ‘There is good reason for the family to be concerned given the backdrop.’

A previous pre-inquest review held by Mr Pegg in July revealed the cause of Mr Dymond's death was a morphine overdose and problems with his heart.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak previous hearings were adjourned.

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In a previous pre-inquest review, held in October last year, Ms Gallagher said the odds were stacked against her clients as a number of documents referred to in reports had not been seen by Mr Dymond’s brother, Lesley, and his cousin, Gerald Brierley.

A number of messages including a WhatsApp message from a researcher to a producer about Mr Dymond’s welfare – after the episode was recorded on May 2 – were referred to by ITV in relation to the inquest but not shown to the family.

The court requested a number of documents to be disclosed by ITV including the WhatsApp message, a behavioural test and results completed by Mr Dymond and a risk assessment, which were to be reviewed by the family’s lawyers.

After the pre-inquest review, Leigh Day partner, Merry Varney, who represents the family of Mr Dymond, issued a statement on their behalf which said: ‘We welcome the coroner’s decision today confirming the scope of the inquest into Steve’s death.

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‘Having recognised in July that Jeremy Kyle himself ought to be an interested person, today’s confirmation that how Steve came to be on the Jeremy Kyle Show, how he was treated on it and the aftercare provided will all form part of the coroner’s inquest gives us real confidence Steve’s death will be fully and fearlessly investigated.’

The inquest is expected to take place next year.

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