New evidence as pressure grows to name Mr X

The inquest into the teenager who took his own life after a relationship with an comedian has heard how he was haunted by the older man’s face on TV and in the press.

Ben Cowburn, 18, said that seeing the comic in the media after being troubled by sexual experiences during a hedonistic time with the comedian – who has not been named in the coroners’ court – was the last straw.

According to reports of the the hearing today, Cowburn told police after one of many attempts on his own life that it ‘wasn’t fair’ that the celebrity was ‘on TV and in magazines on every page… after what he did’.

Cowburn is said to have told officers that the man had ‘done sexual things’ to him and if he killed himself it would make it all go away.

The teenager spiralled into depression after being introduced to a party lifestyle by the comedian, known only as Mr X. Cowburn’s inquest in Truro, Cornwall heard how at one party, he how he was ‘stripped and played with’ by other men, and after another party he TV star let him stay in his spare room, where he performed a sex act on him.

After their relationship came to an end, he was sectioned at the Longreach mental health unit near Redruth in October 2010. He took his own life there two months later.

Part of the inquest is to determine whether the 18-year-old received the proper care at the unit, as he had made dozens of earlier attempts to take his life.

Dr Emma Carlyon, Coroner for Cornwall, asked DC Joanne Sodergren of Devon and Cornwall police whether she was satisfied the investigation into claims of ‘criminal, forced, or pressured sexual activity’ was sufficient. But the officer said she couldn’t comment, as she was unaware of the details of the Metropolitan police’s investigations in London

The comic has never been questioned over the claims, which is why the coroner has kept his name out of the evidence.

However, Dr Carlyon has agreed to consider requests by the media to identify Mr X, after the story made the national press at the weekend.

Tory MP Priti Patel called for his name to be released, saying: ‘Nobody should be going down the legal route to prevent the disclosure of basic facts around a court hearing. The public need to know that key evidence and key facts are not being kept from them.’

The hearing continues.

Published: 25 Mar 2014