Kyle may have caused death, hearing told
TV presenter Jeremy Kyle “may have caused or contributed” to the death of programme guest Steve Dymond, who is suspected to have committed suicide after failing a lie detector test on the show, a p r e - i nquest r e v i e w has heard.
The preliminar y hearing is being held into the death of the 63- year- old, who died of a morphine overdose and heart problem at his home i n Por t s mouth s even days after filming The Jeremy Kyle Show last year.
He took a l ie detector test on the programme to show whether he had cheated on his ex- f i ance é Jane Callaghan, from Gosport.
Coroner Jason Pegg said he has made Mr Kyle an “interested person” for the inquest, stating the presenter is someone “who may have caused or contributed to the death of
Stephen Dymond”. He added: “It might seem ludicrous not to have Mr Kyle to give evidence to give his take on the situation.”
Lawyers f or Mr Kyle and I T V h a d a r g u e d t h a t Mr Dymond's "upsetting expe - r i e n c e " o n t h e s h o w wa s "e s t a bl i s hed f a c t " a nd t he scope of the inquest should not be a "detailed top to bottom inquiry into the Jeremy Kyle Show".
Counsel for Mr Dymond’s family Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC t old t he Winchester h e a r i n g t h a t Mr Dymond became “distressed” after he failed the lie detector test.
She said Mr Dymond had gone on the show to “prove his fidelity”.
Ms Gallagher said after the result was announced during filming, the audience “booed and j eered” at him and he was “called a failure by the presenter”. She said Mr Kyle was “i n his f ace” and even when he was “at the point of
collapsing, he was still being heckled”.
She said Mr Dymond sought to leave through a side door but found it locked, and she added: “He couldn’t escape the heckling. He was on his
hands and knees because he thought he was going to pass out from the stress.”
Ms Gallagher said his state of mind was known by t he c r e w o n t he s how, wi t h a messa g e s e n t o n a Whatsapp group stating: “Just so you know, he’s sti l l cr ying, he has just said he wishes he was dead. Just giving you the heads up.”