Mr Rogers’ family feel he was driven to his death, the court heard 

A YOUNG man “anxiously” searched online for payday loans to clear unpaid council traffic tickets while a bailiff waited outside his home shortly before he took his own life, an inquest has heard.

Jerome Rogers, 20, had been issued with two tickets by Camden Council while working as a motorbike courier, but, left unpaid, they spiralled in cost and left him facing debts of more than £1,000.

On March 7 last year he was visited at home by a bailiff for the third time, who clamped his prized Honda motorbike and told him it would be seized and auctioned off unless he could pay the debt, South London Coroners Court heard today (Friday).

The court heard concerns that Mr Rogers may have felt harassed by the bailiff and his family said they believed the “aggressive” behaviour had driven him to take his own life.

Mr Rogers searched for loans and credit cards while a bailiff, sent by debt collectors Newlyns on behalf of Camden Council, waited outside his family home in Croydon, the inquest heard.

He disappeared that day and was found hung in woods near his home the following evening.

Assistant coroner Jacqueline Devonish said: “The family felt that the enforcement agent had acted aggressively towards Jerome and drove him to what he did.”

She acknowledged the anxiety caused by the debt chasing, but said it was one of several “stressors” that Mr Rogers faced.

She said that the bailiff, Ross Cutler, had acted “professionally” and “appeared not to be heavy-handed about the collection”. Mr Cutler, a former prison guard, was at the time a self-employed bailiff taking jobs from enforcement firm Newlyns.

Assistant coroner Devonish said: “There were penalty notices and they should have been paid. They were outstanding for quite some time before enforcement action was taken and before the the enforcement agent attend the property.

“Did [Mr Cutler] act reasonably in seeking to recover? It seems to me that he did. He did what he was required to do under the law.”

Pointing to the fact that Mr Cutler waited in his van after clamping the motorbike, which the bailiff said was intended to give Mr Rogers time to find the money, Ms Devonish said: “Could that have been viewed as a form of harassment? Did it increase Jerome’s stress levels?

“My personal view is that sitting outside someone’s house, when you are a bailiff, would be intimidating.”

She said that Mr Rogers was not obviously a vulnerable person appearing “cool and calm”, adding: “Even though Jerome clearly was highly stressed, he hid it will.”

She said: “It was impossible for the enforcement agent to recognise that level of stress.”

Returning a narrative conclusion, Ms Devonish said: “Jerome took his own life in circumstances where there were several stressors in his life.”

• For confidential support, call Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit samaritans.org
• Free and confidential help with debt is provided by the Debt Advice Foundation on 0800 043 40 50

See next week’s New Journal for more.