A father live-streamed his own death to an online chatroom linked to the deaths of two other British men, an inquest has heard.

Leon Jenkins, 43, was found hanged in his living room after online users of video group chat site Paltalk raised the alarm while watching his broadcast.

An inquest heard that the builder "lived part of his life online" and had struggled with anxiety and depression in the months before he took his own life.

Users from the USA, Canada and Australia contacted the administrator for the Canada-based website and alerted police in South Wales, who forced their way into Mr Jenkins' home in Elm Street, Roath, Cardiff, at around 8am on July 25.

Pc Phillip Coleman told Pontypridd Coroner's Court that officers could hear voices with American accents coming from Mr Jenkins' computer while officers stood outside his locked door, with one voice asking "Is that real?" and a reply of "I don't think so."


Pc Coleman said Mr Jenkins was found "pale and was not breathing". He was given CPR by other officers but paramedics declared him death at 8.13am.

Pc Carla Morris Griffiths said one online friend described Mr Jenkins as "eccentric", which made viewers unable to tell whether his actions were "real or not".

Assistant Coroner Rachel Knight said international police organisation Interpol failed to gather evidence of what happened from those who viewed Mr Jenkins' live stream.

A toxicology report showed that Mr Jenkins had normal levels of prescription medication in his blood as well as cannabis and 211mg of alcohol, with 80mg being the legal drink drive limit, which would have caused "marked drunkenness".

Phone records showed Mr Jenkins' last outgoing call was made at 6.30am to Gina Baker, from Tennessee in the USA, who had been his girlfriend despite the pair never meeting in person.

Miss Knight said of Mr Jenkins: "He did live life in reality but he did live part of that online and spent quite a lot of his time online."

She said concerns have previously been raised that Paltalk was an "unhelpful website" following the deaths of two other British men who were also known to have used it.

But she said there was no evidence of any goading of Mr Jenkins online, adding: "I haven't seen anything to make me believe he was being encouraged."

Miss Knight added: "He was arguing with his girlfriend Gina in the US. I'm sure nothing could have been done here to prevent his death.

"I find it more likely than not that he intended to end his own life. The act was planned, deliberate, self-inflicted, and did bring on his death."

The coroner said a medical cause of death had been given as hanging, and recorded a verdict of suicide.

