THE parents of a young rugby player who travelled to Switzerland and took his own life said he had “gained his wish” after a number of suicide attempts.

Yesterday your Worcester News revealed exclusively that Dan James had travelled to a Swiss clinic to end his life.

His parents Mark and Julie travelled to the country with their 23-year-old son from their home in Sinton Green, near Worcester, and have since been questioned by police.

Following considerable media interest – prompted by our report – Mr James’s parents released a statement.

Speaking through their lawyer, Mr and Mrs James said: "His death was an extremely sad loss for his family, friends and all those that care for him but no doubt a welcome relief from the prison he felt his body had become and the day-to-day fear and loathing of his living existence, as a result of which he took his own life.

"This is the last way that the family wanted Dan’s life to end but he was, as those who know him are aware, an intelligent, strong-willed and some say determined young man.

“The family suffered considerably over the last few months and do wish to be left in peace to allow them to grieve appropriately.”

Mr James was paralysed from the chest down after a rugby accident in March last year. He spent eight months rehabilitating in hospital after having several operations to fuse two vertebrae in his neck.

His parents said he had never come to terms with his extreme physical incapacity. They said: “Over the last six months he constantly expressed his wish to die and was determined to achieve this in some way.

“He was a young man of sound mind who was not prepared to live what he felt was a second-class existence.”

They said their son had tried “several” times to kill himself before he “gained his wish”.

Mr James was a promising rugby star who played for the minis and juniors section of Worcester Rugby Club, Kidderminster Carolians, Stourbridge, Midlands and England Under- 16s.

The former Chantry High School and Royal Grammar School student, was studying construction engineering management at Loughborough University when he was paralysed.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity for Dying which campaigns for greater patient choice, said: “This is an extremely sad case. It demonstrates once again that even though assisted suicide is illegal in this country, it is happening.”

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