Quote :

Teenage model, 16, killed herself under train 'after boy cancelled their cinema date' by text message

* Gabrielle Joseph, 16, wrote a three-page message on Facebook to friends just before she died
* A-level student modelled for fashion chain and dreamed of making it to the top

By Rob Cooper

Last updated at 1:49 AM on 21st December 2011



A schoolgirl threw herself under a train after receiving a text message from a boy cancelling a trip to the cinema, an inquest heard yesterday.

Gabrielle Joseph, 16, told friends on Facebook: ‘I am going to kill myself tonight’ because she was so upset at being turned down for the date, due on the following night.

The young model died little more than an hour later.





Gabrielle was described as a ‘bubbly’ and ‘outgoing’ teenager with a busy life attending college and holding two part-time jobs, including one at the popular Hollister fashion store.

She had ambitions of being a top model, and on her own website wrote: ‘In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.’

Her father Terry described her as being ‘groggy and pale’ on the day of her death near her home in Briton Ferry, South Wales.

An inquest heard that she had been left ‘distressed’ by the text at 8.15pm last Easter Monday cancelling the date and that 75 minutes later she died from multiple injuries after she was hit by the train near her home.

Gabrielle wrote a three-page Facebook message to friends telling of her upset at the text from a boy who cancelled their movie date for the next night.

Within an hour she was hit by the 75mph Milford Haven to Cardiff train.

Coroner Philip Rogers gave copies of the message to the jury but he did not read it aloud.

He said: ‘The last part of the message is a clear indication on Gabby’s part that she is going to take her own life.’

The jury in Swansea returned a verdict of suicide. Gabrielle, who was studying for her A-levels and lived with mother Julie, a hairdresser, and father Terry, worked at the Hollister fashion chain where staff are referred to as ‘models’.

Weeks before her death her portrait had been chosen as an image of the week by Digital Photographer magazine.

One colleague at Hollister said: ‘She was known in the store as a happy, party girl. She was absolutely lovely, we will all miss her.’

Her mother said in April following the death: ‘She was the most beautiful girl in the world, both inside and out.

‘Nothing will take away the pain and devastation this has brought to us as a family. We wouldn’t want anyone to go through this.’

A statement from her family after the inquest said they were ‘devastated by the loss of our precious Gabrielle’.

It added: ‘We have received an overwhelming amount of support from family and friends, to whom we will always be extremely grateful.

‘We are trying to move forward positively by attempting to increase awareness and understanding of the issues surrounding youth suicide and the impact it has on those left behind.

‘We would like to take this opportunity to urge young people to share their problems by talking to someone they trust. No problem is insurmountable and there is always help available.’

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2076557/Model-Gabby-Joesph-16-killed-train-boy-cancelled-cinema-date.html#ixzz1h8s0NjnG

Nobody kills themselves because they get stood up for a movie.

Supernova wrote:

Nobody kills themselves because they get stood up for a movie.

I'm inclined to agree with you. I think there is a LOT more to this tragedy.

Although. . . I often wonder if "texting" isn't turning young people into idiots.

Bluesmama wrote:

I'm inclined to agree with you. I think there is a LOT more to this tragedy.

Although. . . I often wonder if "texting" isn't turning young people into idiots.

That could be Stephen King's new book, a sequel to Cell.

Supernova wrote:

Nobody kills themselves because they get stood up for a movie.

Bluesmama wrote:

I'm inclined to agree with you. I think there is a LOT more to this tragedy.

Although. . . I often wonder if "texting" isn't turning young people into idiots.

Sounds like she was already on the fringe and that pushed her over the edge.

She already had issues. And texting isn't turning anybody into anything. LOL, people who talk shit about texting are just mad that they don't have any friends to text.

3 page note? Wonder what the note said, it can't be all about the text.

Sad though.

Nystyle709 wrote:

She already had issues. And texting isn't turning anybody into anything. LOL, people who talk shit about texting are just mad that they don't have any friends to text.

I wouldn't tell that to the Air Force. They did a concert here a couple years back and one member told us about when they made an appearance at the high school and saw 2 girls walking down the hall texting each other, and one turned to the other and said 'did you get my text yet?' Yeah that's something to be jealous about.

Supernova wrote:

I wouldn't tell that to the Air Force. They did a concert here a couple years back and one member told us about when they made an appearance at the high school and saw 2 girls walking down the hall texting each other, and one turned to the other and said 'did you get my text yet?' Yeah that's something to be jealous about.

LOL, extremeties at its finest. Yeah, I would tell that to them. And since by your own admission you're the prime example if what I'm talking about, my declaration wasnt off putting in the least.

Sad story.

Nystyle709 wrote:

She already had issues. And texting isn't turning anybody into anything. LOL, people who talk shit about texting are just mad that they don't have any friends to text.

Well, I dunno, man. You're the one who's always declaring that Facebook is the devil.

Bluesmama wrote:

Well, I dunno, man. You're the one who's always declaring that Facebook is the devil.

I'm really only joking about the texting....but really, all this derision over it is silly. Facebook really is the devil. People get fired and lose their husbands/wives over some bullshit on Facebook. At least your texts don't get broadcast for the world to see.

Nystyle709 wrote:

I'm really only joking about the texting....but really, all this derision over it is silly. Facebook really is the devil. People get fired and lose their husbands/wives over some bullshit on Facebook. At least your texts don't get broadcast for the world to see.

Not YET anyway.

Oh, and

Quote :

Facebook really is the devil. People get fired and lose their husbands/wives over some bullshit on Facebook.

MySpace too, that's created a lot of trouble for people as well. Though oddly enough you don't seem to hear much about that one anymore.

Nystyle709 wrote:

I'm really only joking about the texting....but really, all this derision over it is silly. Facebook really is the devil. People get fired and lose their husbands/wives over some bullshit on Facebook. At least your texts don't get broadcast for the world to see.

I've poked into my husband's FB a few times to see if I can find certain people, and whenever I glance through his "wall" I get astounded at the stupid-stupid-stupid stuff posted on there by so many people. What a waste of time. It just isn't for me.

Texting is an addiction for a lot of people and makes them oblivious to things that they shouldn't. It is illegal to text while driving in Oregon yet two times this week a car in front of us has missed the green light, we assume from texting (sitting still with heads bent down).

However, people cut right across streets, in front of ongoing traffic, without even looking ~ and often while chatting on cell phones.

With technology comes new problems.

And it's not just drivers on the road. Towns have done surveys, they submit the teenagers to an experiment of going a month without texting when they used to rack up hundreds of hours of use in a month...it's unbelievable to read what happened because it was like the texting made them zombies. Going through the withdrawal they didn't know what to do with their time, they had actually forgotten how to talk face to face with their friends. Indeed I think Stephen King could find a novel in there somewhere.

Supernova wrote:

Oh, and

MySpace too, that's created a lot of trouble for people as well. Though oddly enough you don't seem to hear much about that one anymore.

Dont think people use myspace anymore.

cheaps wrote:

Dont think people use myspace anymore.

Probably not after they found out so many pedophiles are on it.

Supernova wrote:

And it's not just drivers on the road. Towns have done surveys, they submit the teenagers to an experiment of going a month without texting when they used to rack up hundreds of hours of use in a month...it's unbelievable to read what happened because it was like the texting made them zombies. Going through the withdrawal they didn't know what to do with their time, they had actually forgotten how to talk face to face with their friends. Indeed I think Stephen King could find a novel in there somewhere.

I think you have an ace idea there! Or Dean Koontz. (Sounds more like a King plot, though.)

All the communications empire (AT&T, etc.) must LOVE texting. . . they are certainly making loads o' dough from kids who think their parents are made of money.

Bluesmama wrote:

I'm inclined to agree with you. I think there is a LOT more to this tragedy.

Although. . . I often wonder if "texting" isn't turning young people into idiots.

So very sad. She obviously had a troubled life and conflicted mindset and this minor rejection was just one upset too many for her to reconcile.

Nystyle709 wrote:

It's illegal to text and talk on the phone while driving in NY too. Technology isn't the reason why people are assholes on the road. Don't blame texting or talking on the phone as the sole reason why people get into accidents. Blame it on the person. They should KNOW better than to do things that will distract them from operating a car properly. Just like you should KNOW better than to drink and drive. Technology in and of itself isn't the reason why people are stupid. They're just stupid.

Agreed but I do find it ironic people say texting and driving is actually more dangerous than drinking and driving, like it's causing MORE accidents than being drunk behind the wheel. And if that's true then MADD can eat that one.

Very tragic story of such a young girl.