Man, 43, found not guilty of encouraging girl, 14, to take own life

A British factory worker has been found not guilty of encouraging a Dutch schoolgirl to take her own life after they made a 'suicide pact' during an online chat.

Christopher Ballard, 43, walked free from Bradford Crown Court after the jury's unanimous verdict, which came after six and half hours of deliberations.

Presiding judge the Honourable Mrs Justice Lambert DBE said: 'Mr Ballard can step out of the dock, and you can be discharged.'

Ballard, 43, left the court without speaking accompanied by his elderly parents.

He had stood accused of encouraging or assisting the suicide of 14-year-old schoolgirl Gina Van Houten who lived in Amsterdam and died in March 2018.

Ballard got in touch with the teenager when she posted a message on the Forumjar site titled 'Suicide pact Netherlands'.

Her post read: 'It read: 'Hi, my name is Gina. I am a 14-year-old female and I am planning to commit suicide.

'I would rather do it with someone else than alone. I am asking if you are willing to do it with me.'

Over the course of more than two weeks in 2018, Ballard exchanged a flurry of WhatsApp messages with Gina.

Although he was in reality a shift worker in a plastics factory, he told her he worked in a hospital and had access to 'strong medicines' that cause sleepiness.

He also suggested methods of taking her own life, and that he would travel to the Netherlands to be a partner in the pact.

Ballard, who said he was 34, was in contact with Gina between February 17 and March 3. She was found dead in the bathroom of her home by her mum on March 28.

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Pictured: Dutch girl, 14, who British factory worker, 42, is accused of helping to take her own life

Prosecutor James Bourne-Arton KC said the messages were capable of encouraging Gina to take her own life and that that was what the sender intended.

He said she accepted what Ballard told her as genuine - that he too wanted to die by suicide - as opposed to fantasy role-play.

But the court heard Ballard, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, spent hours playing fantasy games online and believed the pact was 'role-play'.

Giving evidence, Ballard told the court: 'I didn't think [the suicide pact message] was a genuine request. I thought it was somebody who wanted to role play.'

When quizzed about how he suggested two methods of suicide, Ballard said he Googled information about suicides because he was 'building up and staying in character'.

And when the pair discussed travelling to Amsterdam and meeting up, Ballard said he never had any intention to travel but added: 'It's important to keep the fantasy real. I get a kick out of it.

'I was just messaging her. I never intended to encourage her or anybody to commit suicide.'

As the trial came to a close, Ballard's defence solicitor Nick Johnson read out good character references from his parents.

His mother Jacqueline said of Ballard: 'He's a happy go-lucky man but he doesn't have any close friends.

'He can get lost in his games, but there is not a bad bone in his body.'

His father Walter said his son was 'hard-working' since he left school at age 16.

He said: 'He stays on his computer games for hours, but he'd never do anything to harm anyone.'

In the defence's closing speech, Mr Johnson said: 'Ask yourself 'why is autism relevant'?

'The underlying issue with ASD is that people with it are less likely to understand. He might miss signs in a conversation that you or I may notice.

'The defendant also has difficulty with social communication. He likes to role play rather than struggling with real life and trying to fit in.

'Mr Ballard wasn't treating it as a genuine suicide pact. He was playing a character.'

'Nobody knew Gina was in such a place that she would do what she did.

'Chris also is of good character and no previous criminal convictions.

'Can you be sure he intended to encourage her to commit suicide? If not, the proper verdict is not guilty.'