Married British woman, 43, took her own life with a poison she bought from Amazon after using internet chat site to forge a suicide pact with fellow members, inquest hears

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A British woman took her own life with a poison she bought from Amazon after using an online chat site to forge a suicide pact with other members, an inquest has heard.

Chloe Macdermott, 43, took her own life using an unnamed ‘product’ ordered from the United States in 2021 after she joined an online forum that ‘encouraged’ suicide.

She had made an agreement on the night of her death to carry out the act with fellow members – one of whom was also British.

Chloe, who was married, had been ‘struggling with her mental health for some years’ and had used the internet to research ways to end her life as she became ‘increasingly suicidal’, the inquest heard.

Following her death, Paul Rogers, Assistant Coroner of Inner West London, has written to US tech giants Google and Amazon, to raise the alarm over the access to such websites and the ease with which lethal substances can be purchased.

Chloe Macdermott, 43, took her own life using an unnamed ‘product’ ordered from the United States in 2021

She had made an agreement on the night of her death to carry out the act with fellow members of an online forum that ‘encouraged’ suicide

Chloe (right), who was married, had been ‘struggling with her mental health for some years’ and had used the internet to research ways to end her life

In a Prevention of Future Deaths report, Mr Rogers highlighted that the unnamed website used by Mrs Macdermott had no age, or other restrictions, in place to prevent access to children, vulnerable teenagers and vulnerable adults.

He also flagged how there was no ‘prominent signposting’ offering help and there was a lack of ‘effective administration’ removing the harmful content on the website.

Mr Rogers also questioned how Mrs Macdermott was able to purchase, and later ingest, a product – the nature of which is redacted in his report – on Amazon which caused her to die.

He raised concerns over the ‘availability’ of such products on the internet and how they could be purchased from the United States for individual use – without ‘effective border and/or custom controls’.

The inquest in May heard that Mrs Macdermott had been ‘struggling with her mental health for some years prior to her death’.

She had become ‘increasingly suicidal’ and she used the internet to research ways to end her life.

‘On or about 21st May 2021 she formed an association with two other persons with whom she planned to end her life,’ Mr Rogers said. ‘She had purchased [REDACTED], using Amazon US.

‘On 22nd May 2021 whilst her husband was away from home, she contacted the persons she had discussed committing suicide with and an agreement was made to act that night.

The inquest in May heard that Mrs Macdermott (left) had been ‘struggling with her mental health for some years prior to her death’

She had become ‘increasingly suicidal’ and she used the internet to research ways to end her life

‘Chloe and one other person in a different part of the UK ingested [REDACTED], around midnight between 22nd and 23rd May 2021.

‘Chloe died in the early hours of 23rd May 2021 from the effects of [REDACTED] toxicity on her bed in her home.’

The coroner concluded Mrs Macdermott died by suicide.

As well as writing to the Vice Presidents of Google and Amazon, he has sent his report to Home Secretary James Cleverley, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, Culture Secretary Lucy Fraser and the police.

They have until February to respond to his concerns.

Mr Rogers said: ‘[Online forums] encourage suicide, assist it by provision of information about suicide methods, counsel suicide by providing information about it and thereby potentially facilitate the commission of a criminal offence in the United Kingdom.’

Of the chatroom – which he did not identify – he said: ‘[REDACTED], is a forum that permits material to be exchanged and viewed within its open chatrooms whereby suicide is encouraged, assisted, counselled and procured through the provision and exchange of information and methods.

‘No age or other restrictions are in place to prevent access to children, vulnerable teenagers and vulnerable adults. No prominent signposting is in place to organisations from whom help is available to prevent suicide.

Chloe (pictured) took the unnamed substnace at around midnight between May 22 and 23

She died in the early hours of May 23 on her bed in her home while her hudband was away

‘Posts are made by users containing details of methods of suicide without any effective administration to remove such harmful content.’

Of the substance, Mrs Macdermott used to kill herself, he said he was concerned about its availability ‘through the internet and its delivery to individual users in the UK with a non-commercial or agricultural use’.

He also raised concerns over ‘the ability for UK users to purchase [REDACTED], through Amazon in the United States and to take delivery in the United Kingdom without effective border and/or custom controls.’

He added: ‘Chloe was able to purchase the product used over the internet and have it delivered to her home in the UK. Enquiries showed the product was purchased using Amazon in the United States.’

‘In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your organisation has the power to take such action.’