A MOTHER has spoken of the moment she saw her 18-year-old son dive to his death from a ninth-floor window.
Daniel Kennedy committed suicide from Michael Cliffe House, on the Finsbury Estate, on Sunday afternoon. His parents paid tribute to their popular ‘Jack-the-lad’ son.
He had been suffering from years of depression, brought on by the life-threatening illness of his mother, Diane.
Mrs Kennedy, 40, said: “I just saw him turn, take a run and dive out of his brother’s bedroom window. We all ran downstairs as fast as we could but he was just lying there on the car park.”
Daniel’s father John, 42, cradled his son to stop him from moving until the paramedic arrived. He said: “He was just groaning. You just can’t imagine the kind of pain he must have been in.”
A neighbour called 999 and police officers attending another call on the estate arrived within a few minutes, closely followed by a paramedic on a motorbike.
Mr Kennedy held Daniel’s feet in the ambulance to stop him kicking out while the ambulance crew tried to keep him calm.
Daniel’s mother and brother James, 16, followed in a police car.When they arrived at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, 20 specialists crowded around Daniel in an attempt to save him. He was taken to surgery and received a blood transfusion but died of internal bleeding at 7.52am.
Mrs Kennedy said: “I just felt something come away from inside me. It was something that only a mother can feel. We were screaming and crying but we had lost Daniel.”
An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned at Poplar Coroner’s Court on Monday.
The family spoke of their loving, Arsenal-mad son.
Daniel was working on building sites learning about demolition and hoped in the future to move out of London to Cornwall or Ireland, where he had family from Mr Kennedy’s side.
He had lived in Michael Cliffe House for 15 years with his parents and brother, an apprentice plumber and electrician.
As a child, Daniel attended nearby Hugh Myddleton Primary School and then Islington Green Secondary School.He owned two Gunners’ shirts, with Bergkhamp and Vieira embossed on the backs.
But his later life had been dogged by bouts of severe depression, for which his family had urged in vain for him to get help.
Mr Kennedy, a courier, said: “He kept himself to himself but was kind and would always buy you a pint if he had the money.”
Mrs Kennedy said: “He was a cheeky Jack the lad with a wicked sense of humour.”
The family said the community on the Finsbury Estate have rallied around in their time of need.
The area where Daniel died has become a shrine for all who knew him.
His parents thanked the surgeons and emergency services for their professionalism and in particular a family liaison officer with Islington police, PC Rachel Sparrow.
He owned two Gunners’ shirts, with Bergkhamp and Vieira embossed on the backs.
But his later life had been dogged by bouts of severe depression, for which his family had urged in vain for him to get help.
Mr Kennedy, a courier, said: “He kept himself to himself but was kind and would always buy you a pint if he had the money.”
Mrs Kennedy said: “He was a cheeky Jack the lad with a wicked sense of humour.”
The family said the community on the Finsbury Estate have rallied around in their time of need.
The area where Daniel died has become a shrine for all who knew him.
His parents thanked the surgeons and emergency services for their professionalism and in particular a family liaison officer with Islington police, PC Rachel Sparrow.