A young musician hanged himself after a girl he had become infatuated with removed him as a ‘friend’ on Facebook.
Simon Foxley, 21, became interested in the girl after meeting her on the social networking site.
But when he told her of his romantic feelings, she ‘unfriended’ him – removing him from the list of people who could view her profile page and photographs.
When he frantically tried to get back in contact with the girl, her friends began bombarding him with abusive messages telling him to leave her alone.
Hours after reading one of the messages – which ended with the words: ‘Go and die’ – the music student from Hyde, in Gloucestershire, hanged himself in the garden of the family home.
His body was found by his father Graham, 56, and his 18-year-old brother, David.
Yesterday, his devastated family said that being ‘unfriended’ and bullied on Facebook had been ‘the final straw’ for the talented drummer – who they described as a ‘shy’ and ‘sensitive’ boy.
His mother, Diane Foxley, 55, said: ‘Simon suffered from a lack of confidence, but we were making real progress with him.
‘We just didn’t teach him what girls could be like occasionally. He was down about it – then he got the Facebook messages.’
Mr Foxley’s family told how the 21- year-old had become infatuated with the girl after corresponding with her over Facebook.
The pair had exchanged ‘thousands’ of messages, but never met in person and were not boyfriend and girlfriend.
It is thought the girl removed Mr Foxley from her list of Facebook ‘friends’ after he confessed that he was in love with her – feelings she did not share.
Mr Foxley, described as a ‘shy, sensitive lad’ who ‘always put others first’, then began to receive threatening messages from her male friends warning him to stay away from her.
His family said the final message, which told Mr Foxley to ‘go and die’, had finally made his mind up.
His father Graham Foxley said: ‘He had been thinking of it [suicide] previously, and obviously that comment led him to do it that night.’
Mrs Foxley, a librarian, appealed to young people to be aware of the dangers of cyber-bullying.
‘The boys that made those comments to Simon would not have done it face-to-face,’ she said. ‘It was only because it was over the internet. They were trying to warn Simon off but they did not realise how sensitive he was.
‘If they could have seen him, then they would see that if he was told something he would go and do it.
‘Being told to go and die was the final straw. I would say to anyone, please be aware of the dangers of social networking sites and keep an eye on your sensitive young people.
‘We do not want another family to go through this hell.’
Before killing himself, Mr Foxley wrote a suicide note to the girl and his family.
He also left a will he had written himself, and had carefully laid his wallet out on the desk in his bedroom.
In his suicide note, he wrote: ‘Thank you for everything that you have done for me.
‘I hope you all make the most of your lives and cherish the people and the moments you share with them.
‘I can’t say sorry enough times for it to be the slightest bit good.’
His family said Mr Foxley had been insecure about his small stature, slow physical development and acne.
But they said he was slowly becoming more confident and had started a foundation degree in music at the Academy of Music and Sound in Swindon just a few weeks before he was found dead in the early hours of September 21.
Mr Foxley’s mother said she did not want any criminal investigation into the messages – but wanted to spread the word about the hurt they could cause. Recording a verdict of suicide, Deputy Gloucestershire Coroner David Dooley described the online messages as ‘heartbreaking’.
Simon’s brother David said: ‘We had so much in common and we shared so many moments growing up, we would always be there for each other.
‘He was one of the lucky ones who could have had a career in something he loved.
‘He is an inspiration to us all and will forever have a place in my heart.’
More than 570 friends and family joined the Facebook page ‘RIP Simon Paul Foxley’ in the wake of his death.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/articl...z1i7Grfm3J
Simon Foxley, 21, became interested in the girl after meeting her on the social networking site.
But when he told her of his romantic feelings, she ‘unfriended’ him – removing him from the list of people who could view her profile page and photographs.
When he frantically tried to get back in contact with the girl, her friends began bombarding him with abusive messages telling him to leave her alone.
Hours after reading one of the messages – which ended with the words: ‘Go and die’ – the music student from Hyde, in Gloucestershire, hanged himself in the garden of the family home.
His body was found by his father Graham, 56, and his 18-year-old brother, David.
Yesterday, his devastated family said that being ‘unfriended’ and bullied on Facebook had been ‘the final straw’ for the talented drummer – who they described as a ‘shy’ and ‘sensitive’ boy.
His mother, Diane Foxley, 55, said: ‘Simon suffered from a lack of confidence, but we were making real progress with him.
‘We just didn’t teach him what girls could be like occasionally. He was down about it – then he got the Facebook messages.’
Mr Foxley’s family told how the 21- year-old had become infatuated with the girl after corresponding with her over Facebook.
The pair had exchanged ‘thousands’ of messages, but never met in person and were not boyfriend and girlfriend.
It is thought the girl removed Mr Foxley from her list of Facebook ‘friends’ after he confessed that he was in love with her – feelings she did not share.
Mr Foxley, described as a ‘shy, sensitive lad’ who ‘always put others first’, then began to receive threatening messages from her male friends warning him to stay away from her.
His family said the final message, which told Mr Foxley to ‘go and die’, had finally made his mind up.
His father Graham Foxley said: ‘He had been thinking of it [suicide] previously, and obviously that comment led him to do it that night.’
Mrs Foxley, a librarian, appealed to young people to be aware of the dangers of cyber-bullying.
‘The boys that made those comments to Simon would not have done it face-to-face,’ she said. ‘It was only because it was over the internet. They were trying to warn Simon off but they did not realise how sensitive he was.
‘If they could have seen him, then they would see that if he was told something he would go and do it.
‘Being told to go and die was the final straw. I would say to anyone, please be aware of the dangers of social networking sites and keep an eye on your sensitive young people.
‘We do not want another family to go through this hell.’
Before killing himself, Mr Foxley wrote a suicide note to the girl and his family.
He also left a will he had written himself, and had carefully laid his wallet out on the desk in his bedroom.
In his suicide note, he wrote: ‘Thank you for everything that you have done for me.
‘I hope you all make the most of your lives and cherish the people and the moments you share with them.
‘I can’t say sorry enough times for it to be the slightest bit good.’
His family said Mr Foxley had been insecure about his small stature, slow physical development and acne.
But they said he was slowly becoming more confident and had started a foundation degree in music at the Academy of Music and Sound in Swindon just a few weeks before he was found dead in the early hours of September 21.
Mr Foxley’s mother said she did not want any criminal investigation into the messages – but wanted to spread the word about the hurt they could cause. Recording a verdict of suicide, Deputy Gloucestershire Coroner David Dooley described the online messages as ‘heartbreaking’.
Simon’s brother David said: ‘We had so much in common and we shared so many moments growing up, we would always be there for each other.
‘He was one of the lucky ones who could have had a career in something he loved.
‘He is an inspiration to us all and will forever have a place in my heart.’
More than 570 friends and family joined the Facebook page ‘RIP Simon Paul Foxley’ in the wake of his death.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/articl...z1i7Grfm3J
