In October 2024, a 21-year-old American man named Travis Dyer logged onto a Discord video call with a group of people he had met online. By the end of that call, he had shot himself with a shotgun – encouraged repeatedly by one of the participants, a British man who laughed when he pulled the trigger. That man, Dylan Phelan, was sentenced in June 2026 to six years and four months in prison for encouraging Travis to take his own life.
Phelan, from Morley in West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to encouraging suicide, making an indecent image and possessing extreme pornography. The case has raised urgent questions about how the law deals with people who deliberately manipulate vulnerable individuals online, sometimes across international borders, and what platforms like Discord are doing to prevent such abuse.
“A British man was jailed for encouraging a US man to take his own life on a video call.”
Encouraging or assisting suicide is a criminal offence under section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961 in England and Wales, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years. The offence does not require that the person actually dies – but when death occurs, the charge is often used. In Phelan's case, the Crown Prosecution Service said he had subjected Travis to “sustained, serious encouragement to self-harm” by members of an online Discord group over several months. In a police interview, Phelan admitted he had become “drawn to the darker groups” on the platform and accepted his words were a direct factor in Travis's death.
Travis, a Louisiana resident, had been quietly struggling with his mental health and had lost both his mother and sister to drowning. He joined a Discord messaging board where people spoke about their mental health, though it was not categorised as a support group. In the lead-up to his death, Travis carved Phelan's name into his body. On the fatal video call on 30 October 2024, Phelan was heard repeatedly urging Travis to pull the trigger, and laughed when he did so. Two other online group members in the US witnessed the call.
Sentencing Phelan at Leeds Crown Court, Mr Justice Cotter said he was motivated by “morbid curiosity” and “wanted to feel like you had control over the actions of another. You showed no respect for the life of Travis Dyer.” The judge noted that Phelan had a warped fascination with watching someone die.
For UK readers, this case is a stark reminder that online interactions can have lethal consequences, and that British authorities are prepared to prosecute people for encouraging suicide even when the victim is abroad. It also highlights the risks of unmoderated online spaces where vulnerable individuals can be targeted. Discord, the platform used, has since said it is reviewing its safety measures, but the case has already prompted calls for tighter regulation of online communities that facilitate harmful content.
Q: What is the law on encouraging suicide in the UK? It is an offence under section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961 to encourage or assist a suicide or attempted suicide, carrying a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. The law covers online encouragement as well as physical acts, and can apply even if the victim is outside the UK, as in this case.
Q: How common are cases like this? Prosecutions for encouraging suicide are relatively rare, and even rarer when the encouragement happens entirely online and crosses borders. The Dylan Phelan case is one of the most prominent examples of a conviction for encouraging suicide via a live video call.
Q: What can I do if I'm worried about someone online? If you believe someone is at immediate risk of harm, contact the police. UK-based organisations such as the Samaritans (116 123) and Papyrus (0800 068 4141) offer support for people thinking about suicide. Social media platforms have reporting tools for content encouraging self-harm, though their effectiveness varies.
Dylan Phelan will serve his sentence in prison. The case has already been cited by campaigners urging the government to strengthen laws around online abuse and to hold platforms more accountable for harmful content. No further court hearings are scheduled, but the legal and policy debates sparked by this tragic death are likely to continue.