A British man who admitted encouraging a vulnerable 21-year-old US citizen to kill himself during a video call has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison.
Dylan Phelan, 21, from Morley, had been communicating with Travis Dyer, who was struggling with his mental health, for several months via the Discord online platform.
Leeds Crown Court was informed that Phelan, together with two other men based in the US, encouraged Dyer, a resident of Louisiana, to take his own life during a two-minute call on 30 October 2024.
Judge Barry Cotter KC stated that Phelan had acted out of 'morbid curiosity' and that Travis had needed 'help and support but he got the very opposite of that from you.'
The court heard that Phelan and the two other men, identified only as Mads and Rob, were members of a private Discord server called 'Recovery4all,' where they discussed mental health issues.
Prosecutor Andrew Petterson said: 'The name Recovery4all was ironic as the members did not seek to help others with their mental health struggles. The deceased shared his suicidal thoughts within the group and his plans to take his own life.'
Petterson noted that some group members wanted Dyer to end his life and actively encouraged him to do so.
The court was told the trio urged Dyer to spend all his money on drugs and alcohol, leaving him financially destitute. They also encouraged him to carve their initials into his skin, with Phelan's name scratched onto his hip.
Petterson added: 'This was a campaign of cruelty during which Travis Dyer was groomed into taking his own life.'
Dyer had suffered multiple family losses, including the drowning deaths of his mother and younger sister when he was a child. His great-grandmother, Vivian Mahoney, who followed proceedings from the US via video link, said in a victim statement: 'Travis Dyer was a shy, smart and resilient young man who survived more tragedy than most endure in a century. He was deeply adored and had a bright future ahead of him.'
