Jools Sweeney with mom Ellen Roome and dad Matt Sweeney. Photo released January 13, 2025. (SWNS)
A mom has welcomed a decision to name Meta and Snapchat as “interested persons” in an inquest into her son - she believes died from an online challenge gone wrong.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmt==6? #@@>6 |qt 92D =@?8 42>A2:8?65 7@C 2446DD E@ 52E2 @G6C E96 =@DD @7 y@@=D $H66?6J[ `c]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmy@@=D[ @7 r96=E6?92>[ v=@F46DE6CD9:C6[ 5:65 :? pAC:= a_aa 2?5 9:D >@> 762CD 96 H2D E96 G:4E:> @7 2 “52C< 2?5 52?86C@FD” @?=:?6 492==6?86]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 @C:8:?2= :?BF6DE H9:49 =2DE65 ab >:?FE6D C64@C565 2 ?2CC2E:G6 4@?4=FD:@? 3FE H2D BF2D965 3J E96 w:89 r@FCE]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmp D64@?5 AC6\:?BF6DE C6G:6H 92D ?@H ?2>65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_ae^_f^`c^E649I:6EJ\>@56C?\A2C6?E:?8\DEC6DD\<66AD\72>:=:6D\FA\2E\?:89E^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@C676CC6C ?@@A6?6CQmD@4:2= >65:2k^2m 8:2?ED |6E2 2?5 $?2A492E 2D “:?E6C6DE65 A6CD@?D”]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmxE 962C5 x?DE28C2> @H?6C |6E2 2?5 $?2A492E H@F=5 36 ;@:?:?8 %:<%@<[ H9:49 :D 2=C625J 2? :?E6C6DE65 A6CD@? :? E96 AC@4665:?8D 2?5 92D 28C665 E@ C6=62D6 :?7@C>2E:@?]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 564:D:@? >62?D E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_ae^_g^a`^>@DE\E9:?<\<:5D\F?56C\`e\D9@F=5\36\32??65\7C@>\D@4:2=\>65:2^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@C676CC6C ?@@A6?6CQmE649 8:2?EDk^2m 92G6 E96 C:89E E@ A2CE:4:A2E6 :? E96 :?BF6DE 2?5 36 =682==J C6AC6D6?E65]k^Am
Ellen Roome believes her son Jools Sweeney died after an online challenge went wrong - and having access to his social media could provide the evidence needed to prove his death. (SWNS)
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm}@H `d D@4:2= >65:2 2?5 82>:?8 A=2E7@C>D 92G6 366? 2D<65 E@ AC@G:56 52E2] %96J 5@ ?@E 92G6 E@ 2EE6?5 @C 8:G6 6G:56?46]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm#@@>6[ H9@ DF446DD7F==J 42>A2:8?65 7@C E96 :?EC@5F4E:@? @7 “y@@=D {2H”[ D2:5 D96 9@A65 E96J H@F=5 2== “7F==J 4@@A6C2E6]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmx? 2 DE2E6>6?E[ D96 D2:5i “*6DE6C52J H2D 2?@E96C :>A@CE2?E DE6A :? @FC 7:89E E@ F?56CDE2?5 H92E 92AA6?65 E@ @FC D@?[ y@@=D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“%96 4@C@?:2= AC@46DD 42? 766= :?4C65:3=J 4@=5 H96? A6@A=6 2C6 5:D4FDD:?8 J@FC =:EE=6 3@J :? 4=:?:42= 2?5 =682= E6C>D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“u@C 6G6CJ@?6 6=D6[ :E :D 2 =682= AC@46DD] u@C |2EE 2?5 >6[ :E :D 23@FE @FC D@?[ H9@ H2D ;FDE `c J62CD @=5]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“(6 H6=4@>6 E96 ?6HD E92E |6E2 2?5 $?2A 92G6 ?@H ;@:?65 %:<%@< 2D :?E6C6DE65 A6CD@?D :? y@@=D’ ?6H :?BF6DE]k^Am
Jools and his family. (SWNS)
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“(6 9@A6 2== E9C66 4@>A2?:6D H:== 7F==J 4@@A6C2E6 2?5 AC@G:56 E96 :?7@C>2E:@? ?66565 E@ 96=A 6DE23=:D9 H92E 92AA6?65]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“%96 r@C@?6C 92D 2=D@ 2D<65 ~74@> E@ AC6D6CG6 52E2 96=5 3J `d D@4:2= >65:2 2?5 82>:?8 A=2E7@C>D]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 962C:?8 7@==@HD E96 :?EC@5F4E:@? @7 y@@=D {2H :? pAC:= a_ae[ H9:49 H2D 3C@F89E :? 27E6C J62CD @7 42>A2:8?:?8 3J #@@>6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 =2H C6BF:C6D E649 4@>A2?:6D E@ AC6D6CG6 2 56462D65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_ae^_e^`d^H9J\8C2?5A2C6?ED\2C6\4CF4:2=\:?\E24<=:?8\49:=5\>6?E2=\962=E9\4C:D:D^Qm49:=5’Dk^2m 52E2 H:E9:? 7:G6 52JD @7 2 C6BF6DE[ D@>6E9:?8 #@@>6 D2:5 D9@F=5 AC6G6?E @E96C 72>:=:6D 7C@> 724:?8 E96 D2>6 @3DE24=6D D96 6?4@F?E6C65]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$96 25565i “(6 5@?’E ;FDE H2?E E@ <?@H H9@ y@@=D H2D DA62<:?8 E@ @?=:?6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“(6 ?665 E@ F?56CDE2?5 H92E 96 H2D D66:?8[ H92E 4@?E6?E H2D 36:?8 C64@>>6?565 E@ 9:>[ 9@H 2=8@C:E9>D :?7=F6?465 9:D @?=:?6 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 H96E96C 2?JE9:?8 96 6?4@F?E6C65 4@F=5 96=A 6IA=2:? 9:D 562E9]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“%:<%@< :?5:42E65 E92E :E H@F=5 AC@G:56 52E2[ 3FE BF6DE:@?D C6>2:? 23@FE 6I24E=J H92E :?7@C>2E:@? H:== 36 5:D4=@D65 2?5 H9@ H:== 6I2>:?6 :E]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“x’G6 2=C625J 366? 25G:D65 E92E DA64:2=:DE 7@C6?D:4 2?2=JD:D 4@F=5 4@DE E6?D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 5@==2CD]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“w@H 42? :E 36 C:89E E92E 36C62G65 A2C6?ED >:89E 92G6 E@ 7F?5 E9:D E96>D6=G6D D:>A=J E@ F?56CDE2?5 H92E 92AA6?65 E@ E96:C 49:=5nk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“p7E6C >@C6 E92? 7@FC 2?5 2 92=7 J62CD[ H6 2C6 7:?2==J >2<:?8 AC@8C6DD[ 3FE H6 DE:== 5@?’E 92G6 E96 2?DH6CD H6 92G6 7@F89E D@ 92C5 7@C]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“(6 ?@H 92G6 E@ AFE @FC 72:E9 :? E96 4@C@?:2= AC@46DD 2?5 9@A6 E92E 6G6CJ A@DD:3=6 2G6?F6 :D 6IA=@C65]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“|2EE 2?5 x 56D6CG6 2?DH6CD[ 2?5 H6 2C6 ?@E 8:G:?8 FA]”k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 4@FCE 962C5 2 C6DF>65 :?BF6DE :D =:<6=J E@ E2<6 A=246 :? DAC:?8 a_af 2?5 =2DE FA E@ 2 H66<]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$6?:@C r@C@?6C z2EJ $<6CC6EE D2:5 E96 ?6H :?BF6DE H@F=5 =@@< 2E E96 >65:42= 42FD6 @7 y@@=D’ 562E9[ 6>6C86?4J C6DA@?D6 2?5 9:D D@4:2= >65:2 2?5 @?=:?6 24E:G:EJ]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.