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Mum Fights for Truth After Son's Mysterious Death
8 Nov
Summary
- Mother seeks truth years after son's non-suspicious suicide ruling.
- Private detective uncovered evidence of sextortion gang targeting teen.
- High Court ordered inquest re-opening for digital data review.
Four and a half years after her son Jools Sweeney was found unresponsive in his bedroom, Ellen Roome continues her fight for answers. An initial inquest in September 2026 could not definitively determine if Jools intended to take his own life, and police had quickly closed the case as non-suspicious without examining his digital devices.
Ellen's persistence led her to hire a private detective, who uncovered evidence suggesting Jools was targeted by a sextortion gang. This prompted Gloucestershire Police to launch a review and refer themselves to the IOPC. The High Court intervened in July 2026, ruling that the inquest must be re-opened to include Jools' digital data.
A pre-hearing on Monday, November 2, 2026, ordered the provision of digital evidence from up to a month before Jools' death. Ellen also championed Jools' Law, enacted in April 2026, requiring tech platforms to preserve children's data after death, aiming to prevent other families from enduring similar struggles.
The sextortion tactic involves criminals blackmailing victims with explicit images, demanding money. Investigations revealed Jools was sent a blackmail link days before his death, and a mystery iPhone 14 logged into his accounts weeks earlier. The full inquest is scheduled for next year, with Ellen hoping for the truth despite the time elapsed.
