Life Imitates Horror: Chainsaw decapitation!

Posted by Ms Harker | Filed under Life imitates Horror

Its been a little while since I presented you with a Life Imitates Horror offering. I was thumbing through my latest copy of Rue Morgue, reading their section entitled ‘Coroner’s Report’ and came across this:

“A fifty year old British man, David Phyall, recently committed suicide by cutting his own head off with a chainsaw that he had secured to a piece of furniture- because his Hampshire flat was scheduled for demolition.” (p12)

Intrigued I investigated this further and came across a news article, confirming the story. The incident took place in July 2008 and Phyall indeed rigged up the DIY decapitation in response to being evicted from his flat. Phyall was very methodical and set up quite the piece of machinery:

“He tied the Black & Decker tool to a leg of a snooker table in his lounge with string, taped up the on button and plugged it into a timer. Mr Phyall then lay down under the snooker table face up and placed the chainsaw against his neck, Winchester Coroner’s Court heard. A piece of the tool’s cardboard box initially cushioned the blades from his neck. The hearing heard the timer, which is usually used to turn lights on and off, was fixed to start up the chainsaw for 15 minutes.” (The Telegraph, 20/11/08)

Fifteen minutes… fifteen minutes, this gentleman had obviously seen a lot of horror flicks, new it was going to take time to get through the gristle and bone! But my goodness what a way to check out!

Ms Harker

bloody-chainsaw

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Permalink | July 30th, 2009

4 Responses to “Life Imitates Horror: Chainsaw decapitation!”

  1. Will Says:
    July 30th, 2009 at 10:41 pm

    That’s quite the unpleasent way to do it. I can’t even imagine why that would seem like the way to go, wouldn’t you just figure jumping off something, or a gun, or some pills, or a rope! A chainsaw?!? Nuts!

  2. Ms Harker Says:
    July 30th, 2009 at 10:57 pm

    Full on isn’t it? I didn’t quite believe it at first then searched around and found the coroner’s statement etc…

  3. Brian Says:
    July 31st, 2009 at 6:03 am

    I believe there’s a kind of person whose rage turns inward when completely thwarted - like the psychologically abused little kid who physically hurts him/herself. Wonder if this was the same sort of thing taken to the nth degree? More than mere “checking-out”, this was wholesale self-homicide.

  4. Jeanette Says:
    August 1st, 2009 at 6:37 am

    This is definitely on my top ten list of ways NOT to leave this earth.

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