Killed By My Debt - BBC3

[Violetroselily]

Anyone watched this on iPlayer?

I thought the main actor was great.

But such a horrible story, I found it very difficult to watch knowing what was doing to happen

Going*

I found it really oppressive (so well done in that way) - and obvs deeply tragic. I thought they missed an opportunity to point viewers in the direction of debt advice charities though. (I also thought that vehicles on finance couldn't be seized given you don't own them and all).

I found this really harrowing and difficult to watch. I think it was criminal how his initial driving fines totalling £130 were allowed to escalate so quickly to over £1000. Shame on the council, the bayliff company and also the courier company Jerome worked for, who were all complicit in his death. This was nothing but pure greed on their part and that poor young man must have felt so terrified and trapped in a situation he could see no way of escaping from until ultimately he felt his only decision was suicide. I have the deepest sympathies for his family.

It was heartbreaking, I just wanted to reach through the screen and save him.

And then to see the actual body cam footage of Jerome at the end. He was just a kid

I felt the same too lost. That asshole bayliff making out he was being kind by giving him just half an hour to come up with the money... Jerome must have felt so scared. It broke my heart to see the actual footage of him at the end. He was a young man trying to earn a living and pay his own way, doing a worthy job delivering blood to hospitals. The way his driving mistake was treated and the subsequent fines that mounted was a sledgehammer to a nut and utterly disgraceful in my opinion.

I was properly sobbing at the end. Gave my 2 year old son lots of extra cuddles. Couldn't stop crying at how sad it was and such a waste of young life. The poor family.

It was heart wrenching. He was younger than my ds So young
Just hoped that someone would point him in the direction as said upthread earlier, of debt charities, citizens advice, anyone. poor kid

I watched this last night and found it deeply disturbing.

To discover this was an actual real person - and not just "Based" upon events - was so upsetting. Can't get this poor young man and his family out of my mind.

I agree with pp though. How could they seize the bike? It was bought in his mother's partner's name and on finance. Shifty bailiff I would say! As for Newlyn, Camden council and that appalling courier company; they should hang their heads in shame. 😤

R.I.P. Jerome

I thought the same about the bike. Have seen a lot of tweets asking the same question but I’m yet to find the answer. Nothing in any of the news articles about the inquest suggest that Newlyn did anything wrong in clamping it

I admit I have regularly watched Can’t Pay, We’ll Take It Away, but I really don’t think I can watch it in the same way now after seeing this story.

I didn't realise there was a programme, I read a long feature on the BBC website last week, heartbreaking.

I saw the family whose son was who the film was based on being interviewed on breakfast tv and they said it was very accurately portrayed. It was such a sad story. A young man who was trying his best to make his way in life and got himself into such a mess that he couldn't see a way out of it. He didn't know where to go for help.

I've just watched this. Very upsetting.

Some excellent actors (I recognised the actress who played the Mum from This Life) although very harrowing to watch.

Thank you! Hat main character is my baby!

That*

I couldn't watch it. I had read the story in the papers and that upset me, I knew I would be sobbing uncontrollably if I watched.

It's so sad that the boy could not turn to someone for help. I guess he was too worried and embarrassed. I really think something should be done about the way some Bailiffs (too many) act. How they do that for a job I really don't know

Ive Been thinking about that poor boy and his family on and off since it was on.
It highlights so much that is wrong
Zero hours contracts
The self employed, employed issue
Bailiffs being less than truthful
Camden council jumping straight to debt collectors (which probably mean they get a fraction of the debt back)
People not paying who can pay which pushes councils to jump to debt collectors.
A lack of accessible support and impartial advice, it’s easier to get a text payday loan.

As someone whose been in huge debt I was lucky I found good advice who to go for help pretty quickly that was from a chance conversation with someone I barely knew. The companies aren’t forth coming with any help and it does feel so impossible as automated letter after automated letter lands on your doorstep. He just needed a little help to sort it out. What an utter waste of a genuinely honest, lovely lad.

Can anyone explain why the boy was chased for the debt if the bike was taken out in the mum's boyfriend's name please?

I read some interviews with the family and there isn't a boyfriend mentioned so I wonder if this character was fictionalised for the purpose of the drama? It did say at the beginning that some of it was changed for the purpose of telling the story.

I was in tears at the end. So sad.

TeachesOfPeaches The debt arose from the escalating traffic fines, not repayments for the bike itself which we saw him making to the stepfather in cash

Thanks infinite but the bike didn't belong to the boy so how could the bailiff take it away?

The bailiff couldn’t take it, but he didn’t know that.

I’m assuming the bike was registered to Jerome (so the fines went to him) but the finance in his step dad’s name.
The finance would mean it couldn’t be touched but Jerome didn’t know that.

I want to touch on the word greed used here. In that aspect I'm meaning the greed of corporations that for three decades now have had our governments in their pockets. Employees have come like slaves working hard for pittance while small portion of people are getting richer and richer and get away with paying taxes.
It's time to strengthen laws so that EVERYONE gets decent and fair pay 2#0812631176 their work. Capitalism is ruining societies all over. Let's all become more social democratic and keep businesses and corporations in check

Bumping this, as tragically the actor Chance Perdomo has died in a motorbike accident

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68701888

I'm pretty sure this is still on iplayer, I'd implore anyone to watch if they haven't

so sad