A DEVASTATED mum told how her daughter – who wanted to live to be 122 – killed herself after watching a "suicide" drama, an inquest heard.
Jasmine Lindsay, 16, had watched Netflix's 13 Reasons Why with her on-off boyfriend before she took her own life at a train station on July 22.
She was tragically struck by a train at Swanley station at about 6am.
Her mum, Shannon, told the inquest how her daughter had been healthy and "bubbly" before her death.
She said she had concerns that Jasmine's boyfriend talked with her about suicide, and that they watched the controversial drama series at his house, which centres around a high school student's suicide.
But she added: "Me and my family saw no signs that Jasmine would ever do anything like what she did."
She said: "She was bright and bubbly and had an infectious giggle.
"She just loved giggling and making everyone laugh. She always said she wanted to travel the world.
"She had a healthy diet and said she wanted to be the oldest living person on record and be in the Guinness Book of Records."
The oldest person ever to live was Jeanne Louise Calment from France who died at 122 years old in 1997.
What is 13 Reasons Why?
It follows the tale of 17-year-old Hannah Baker, who commits suicide and leaves behind 13 tapes listing 13 reasons.
The show sparked strong criticism when it was released on Netflix, with accusations it was "glamorising suicide" and several petitions being launched to take it down.
The show is based on the book by Jay Asher under the same title, which was originally released in 2007.
The devastated mum said in the days before the teen died they had been on outings as a family, and Jasmine had been looking forward to a holiday.
She said she noticed Jasmine was missing at 9.30am and called her sister before they phoned the teen's on-off boyfriend.
He told them to try the train station when they visited him, before it was found she had died there.
The court heard in the aftermath of her death, he told her family Jasmine had kept a book by her bed – which had notes expressing suicidal thoughts.
The coroner noted the boyfriend had suggested the family try the railway station, and asked if DI Bates, of British Transport Police, had contacted him to ask more about it.
YOU’RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
DI Bates said he had attempted to contact the boyfriend and his mother to ask why he mentioned it, but they had not returned his calls.
But he suggested the boyfriend could have seen reports on social media of an incident at the station that morning.
Following the death Skye Harris, Jasmine’s best friend, was among the group of devastated pals laying floral tributes and playing music outside the station.
She told Sun Online: “She had a heart of gold, she was the nicest and most naturally pretty girl I’ve ever seen.
“She was perfect. She loved baking, she was amazing at baking cakes, she loved drawing.”
Concluding the evidence, the coroner said it had been a sad and tragic death.
He said it was "not necessary for a coroner in the course of an inquest to determine the reason for Jasmine's actions", and made a conclusion of suicide.
Contact the Samaritans
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article contact The Samaritans on 116 123. They are available for free at anytime.
Or email https://www.samaritans.org/
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