Exeter man dies after setting fire to himself
HORRIFIED bystanders watched helplessly as a man who set himself on fire ran around a city park.
Witnesses to the harrowing incident, which happened at the King George V playing fields in Topsham Road, raised the alarm after hearing cries from the man.
Emergency services rushed to the scene but the man, who has been named as Jason Hennessy, of Topsham Road, could not be saved and died as a result of his injuries.
The 31-year-old, who is understood to have suffered from mental health problems and had learning difficulties, lived at supported residential home Seabrook House Cottages.
Police believe he intended to take his own life.
CCTV footage from shortly before the incident shows Mr Hennessy entering the Shell garage in Topsham Road, where he bought petrol. He is then believed to have headed to the park just before 4pm and doused himself in the fuel before setting himself alight.
A resident of Exe Vale Road, whose garden backs onto the playing fields, described seeing a burning man running around.
The 34-year-old, who did not wish to be named, described the incident as shocking and terrifying.
He told the Echo: “I was in the bathroom at the back of the house when I heard a commotion coming from the fields, it sounded like a male voice shouting.
“I looked out the window and saw a man on fire running around. It was not a nice thing to see — it is the sort of thing you only see on the TV.
“It took a while for what I was seeing to sink in but I called the emergency services. I couldn’t leave the house because of my baby son.
“The man seemed to be rolling around on the ground but he may have fallen. He then got up and walked from the centre of the field towards the entrance gates.”
Fire crews from Exeter and Topsham attended the incident, but say Mr Hennessy was no longer on fire on their arrival.
Rachel Callow, home manager at Seabrook House Cottages, said those who lived with Mr Hennessy were still coming to terms with his death.
“This is a difficult time for the staff and residents,” she said.
“Our condolences go out to Jason’s family. He had been here a long time and it is a shock to everybody, completely unexpected.”
Police say they are not treating Mr Hennessy’s death as suspicious but are appealing for any witnesses to contact them.
Detective Inspector Nick Reed, of Exeter’s Criminal Investigation Department, said: “It is tragic that anyone should wish to take their own life. Our thoughts are with his parents.
“It is particularly harrowing for any member of the public who witnessed the incident, which occurred in a popular park on a warm summer’s afternoon. The coroner has been informed and Exeter CID is carrying out inquiries on her behalf.
“We are satisfied that no other person was involved and we are not treating the death as suspicious.”
The city’s coroner’s office confirmed that a post mortem examination on Mr Hennessy was due to take place shortly.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information about it is asked to contact Devon and Cornwall police on 08452 777444 quoting log number 675 of Tuesday, August 18.
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29 Comments
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by katie lewis, exeter
Saturday, August 22 2009, 11:57AM
“this is so sad,the problem is when u got learning disabillties and mental health issues u r just left to cope and defend on your own ,theres not enough help or funding it makes me sick i have a son who has learning disabiltes and i dont get no help and every little help i had ive had to fight hard for is this poor man had more help maybe he maynot of wonted to ended his life in a crule manner,and suffered the way he had over the years with his mental health problems”
by rose, exeter topsham
Friday, August 21 2009, 4:12PM
“r.i.p my heart goes out to the family i see a lot o the lads from there goin up and down topsham rd and my heart goes out to then i have a few family ppl with the same thing,does anyone no if it was the one who walked up and down topsham rd with his boots undone ?”
by claire, otterton
Friday, August 21 2009, 2:07PM
“how sad that he felt this way to end his life my brother works in mental health i asked him why would they do it a lot of cases are things that happend in there childhood and voices they hear its a horrid way to go but maybe the pain he had inside was to much to carry on with i hope he is at rest now and that the people that cared for him and his family have time to come to turm,s with such a sad way to leave this world.. r.i.p”
by Timmy, exeter
Friday, August 21 2009, 1:46PM
“'Typical' you are obviously still touched by events in your past but it quite wrong for you to make your hurtful, spiteful judgements.”
by typical !, Exmouth
Friday, August 21 2009, 1:03PM
“You see every poster, thoughts with family , thoughts with the people who witnessed it. These may have been the actions of a sick man, no doubt in turmoil but every poster comments on those left behind. I stand by my original comments , thoughtless and selfish. There are countless other ways to kill yourself, most not as attention seeking as this.”
by Witness, Exeter
Friday, August 21 2009, 12:45PM
“"Distressed the witnesses may have been but for Jason to have walked 100 yards to the road and not even been offered any additional help,apart from the commendable person who called the emergency services, is absolutely outrageous!"
Olly,
Were you there? did you witness what happened? Because i was unfortunate enough to and i can assure you that those truly horrendous images will never leave me.
What assumptions are you making that no one tried to "help". Did the man who ran after him from the car park as soon as the realisation of what happened not try and "help"?
How exactly do you try and "help" someone who has been so horrifically burnt that frankly did not look human?
I would appreciate your input so that next time i witness someone in this state i am able to react quicker and maybe i won't wake up every night re-living the nightmare.”
by anon, exeter
Friday, August 21 2009, 10:04AM
“how sad is it that a comments page on here has turned into an argument. everyone will have their own opinion and i think it fires up inside from their own personal experiences and they feel they have to write it on here and dont really think about what they are writing. im sure that everyone when they think about it does have deep sympathy for all involved. my heart goes out to the family and friends and also the bystanders who witnessed the event. lets hope that the mental health services will improve and people will be listened to more so that incidents like this never have to occur.”
by Dudman, Exeter
Friday, August 21 2009, 9:06AM
“Sue, I totally agree with you. My heart goes to all his family and friends.”
by Sue, Exminster
Thursday, August 20 2009, 11:57PM
“I'm quite shocked by some of the thoughts here. My heart goes out to such a young and disturbed man who's only way out, that he could think of or knew about, was to set fire to himself. He didn't need to have to think it through, not when this sort of thing is portrayed on TV. Who knows, he may even have heard someone talking about such a thing earlier in life. He'd quite possibly have heard that the more oxygen there is around a fire, the faster it burns too!
Whatever anyone thinks about suicide and the so called 'selfishness' of such an act; no one knows what his thinking was at the time, nor that of others who act similarly when in such despair. "There but for the grace of God go I" and oh how fortunate we've been not to be so badly affected that we resort to such actions. Pity such a pour soul, please, but don't condemn him when you've never been in such a situation as he was.”
by terry.c., exeter
Thursday, August 20 2009, 10:47PM
“typical!!! how would these people giving bad comments like it if it was a member of their family or relative that took their own life, i am damn sure i would not like it, i had known jason around fifteen years through another person with mental health poblems and it's not nice reading the heartless comments being made by heartless people, my thoughts go out to his parentsrelatives and other close friends. rest in peace jason xxxxx”