A warning: this story is about the brilliant boxer Darren "the Dazzler" Sutherland who passed away on this day in 2009 and includes details of suicide. Sutherland grew up in a council gaff in Parslickstown in Blanchardstown, Dublin. His Da Anthony was from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, his Ma Linda from Finglas. He joined St. Bridget's Boxing Club in Mulhuddart at 14. His coaches saw something immediately. Within weeks he was sparring with the Leinster senior champion and holding his own. He moved to Sheffield to train under Brendan Ingle at the famous Wincobank gym. He balanced training with part-time work and studied for his A levels in sports science, before homesickness pulled him back. He eventually completed a sports science degree at DCU on a scholarship. Back in Dublin he trained at St. Saviour's Olympic Boxing Academy on Dorset Street. He won 3 Irish senior titles and took EU Amateur Championship gold in both 2007 and 2008. His great amateur rival was Britain's James DeGale, the pair having a series of memorable bouts. At the 2007 EU Championships in Dublin, Sutherland beat DeGale 23-19 to take gold. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics he won bronze in the middleweight division. The handsome charismatic young boxer became a national celebrity overnight. As a Blanch head meself, who briefly boxed in a club in Mulhuddart, I remember how proud and jealous we were of this dazzling local lad. Frank Maloney, the London promoter, whod guided Lennox Lewis, signed him in 2008. Sutherland made his professional debut in Dublin on 18 December 2008, a first-round knockout and kept his streak going with 4 fights, all wins by knockout. Tragically, underneath the victories there was pain and darkness. Darren Sutherland was found dead in his flat in Bromley, south London, on 14 September 2009. He was just 27 years old. The inquest held in Croydon in March 2012 said how a cheek and eye-socket injury got infected and wouldn't heal, forcing him to postpone fights and causing significant physical pain. But his mind was suffering too. Without the structure of training and competition, his confidence and peace were fecked. Notes found at the scene described fears about what his manager Maloney would do to him if he broke contract. He confided in mates that he was terrified of leaving boxing. One friend told the inquest he was scared of Maloney. He had reportedly asked about renegotiating or ending his contract, but Maloney swore he would ensure he did not box for anyone else. At the inquest Maloney denied he had intimidated Sutherland. He broke down in tears saying that Sutherland had even lived with Maloneys family for months. When asked had he any regrets about how he handled the situation, Maloney said no. Tony and Linda Sutherland initially didn't believe their son was depressed. They had his body exhumed in September 2010 for an independent post-mortem, unsatisfied with the initial findings. Both examinations confirmed death by asphyxiation from hanging. Coroner Roy Palmer described Darren as a charming gentleman who lit up a room, but noted he was also introverted, anxious, and needed reassurance. He was perhaps too sensitive and too intelligent for the cutthroat world he had entered. Palmer declined to return a suicide verdict and returned an open verdict instead. The Sutherland family called for better support structures for athletes making the transition from amateur to professional sport. The coroner wrote separately to the British Board of Boxing Control with recommendations. Sutherland's memory is honoured by DCU with the Darren Sutherland Memorial Award and an annual tournament. Touchingly his rival DeGale wore the initials DS on his shorts throughout his professional career. When DeGale won the IBF super middleweight world title in 2015, he dedicated the victory to him. RIP Dazzler. Please reach out for help. SAMARITANS: 116 123 ​ PIETA HOUSE: 1800 247 247 Text HELP to 51444