Kirk Norcross has broken his silence on his father Mick’s death, saying he’ll never be able to forget the image he has of finding his dad’s body.
Mick, who had been the beloved owner of the Essex nightclub Sugar Hut, took his own life at his home in Bulphan on January 21 this year, aged 57.
Speaking in a series of Instagram videos, 33-year-old Kirk said he hoped discussing his experience would help anyone in a similar position.
While he did not elaborate on his claims, Kirk also said that ‘thieving c***s’ were to blame for this father’s death.
An inquest on Thursday heard that Mick had been depressed during the pandemic and was forced to take a £3.6million bank loan and a bridging loan against his luxury home after various property developments were delayed by lockdown.
‘It still feels like a dream’: TOWIE’s Kirk Norcross broke his silence on father Mick’s suicide and claimed ‘thieving c***s’ are to blame for his death in an impassioned Instagram video
Speaking to his 59,000 followers Kirk said: ‘Listen I have got to talk about this and people, if you don’t want to hear it I’m not being rude but you can unfollow me.
‘If I can stop one person from killing themselves, I have really made an impact in this world. I love you all. Be kind, be polite and be positive.
‘You have got to let it out, you have got to talk. I know many people who have lost their fathers. But I’m trying to use this. You are not alone, if you want a chat lets talk and we can get through it together.
‘The mind is a mad thing, we ain’t strong enough to control that on our own. That’s why we talk. That’s why we talk to people, that’s why people talk to us.
‘I don’t want sympathy, I genuinely do like people caring for me and I like caring for people. But I ain’t doing this for sympathy.’
Tragic: Mick, who had been the beloved owner of the Essex nightclub Sugar Hut, took his own life at his home in Bulphan on January 21 this year, aged 57 (pictured together in 2015)
Kirk found his Mick hanged in the wine cellar of his Essex mansion after smashing his way in with a hammer.
Discussing the distressing moment, Kirk recalled: ‘I was the one that found him. I’m glad that I found him in a sense.
‘I know that sounds weird but I wouldn’t want no stranger, no doctors, no nurses having to deal with what I dealt with.
‘My dad has manned up for me many times, it was my turn to step up for my dad you know. I tried to give him CPR and I knew there was no bringing him back but I had to try.’
Speaking to his 59,000 followers Kirk said: ‘If I can stop one person from killing themselves, I have really made an impact in this world. I love you all. Be kind, be polite and be positive’
Kirk continued: ‘It feels like my dad died when I was a baby or something. All the talks and chats that I have had with my dad feels like it was a dream. But that’s just my brain telling me I’m not ready for it yet.
‘My dad was my best friend, he still is. I don’t care what anyone says my dad is my best friend. The best man I have ever met anyway.’
Kirk also revealed that he relapsed after his father’s death, but is now 12 weeks sober.
He explained: ‘I know a lot of people who have already dealt with what I’m dealing with and said it doesn’t get better, it gets a little bit easier to deal with.
‘Obviously the image I have got in my head will never leave me. That’s the only image I have got of my dad of how I found him.
‘I’m three months sober, that’s the longest I have been sober. I was near on a year last year but then I had a little wobble when my dad went.
‘But listen I have got to talk about this and people, if you don’t want to hear it I’m not being rude but you can unfollow me. If I can stop one person from killing themselves, I have really made an impact in this world.’
Kirk – who is father to five-year-old daughter Violett and son Harry, four – concluded: ‘My dad is resting. I’m now going to graft as hard as I can for the rest of my life to make myself proud and my dad proud. Do everything for my kids like my dad did. Love you all.’
During the inquest, it came to light that Mick was suffering with financial difficulties and sold his Aston Martin, Range Rover and a van, and cashed in his private pension.
His girlfriend Samantha Keahey told coroner Lincoln Brookes: ‘He believed he was being conspired against’.
CCTV from the day of his death showed a worried Kirk arriving at his father’s house at around 3pm – an hour after Mick was last seen – first using a ladder to look into a bedroom before ‘running’ to grab a hammer and smash his way into the converted pool house through several windows.
Kirk told the coroner at the Chelmsford inquest that he had prayed for his father and even bought him some lottery scratchcards to give him ‘hope’ he could beat financial problems and retire.
Candid: Speaking in a series of Instagram videos, 33-year-old Kirk said he hoped discussing his experience would help anyone in a similar position
His son also revealed in a statement that Mick ‘changed’ during the first Covid-19 lockdown, saying: ‘He seemed down and depressed and seemed to have black cloud over his head’.
Kirk even predicted to a friend that his father might end his life and said: ‘I might lose my dad this week’, having heard him tell his girlfriend: ‘I don’t think I am going to get through this Sam’.
And hours before his death, Mick tweeted: ‘At the end remind yourself that you did the best you could. And that is good enough’.
Kirk said in a statement: ‘I went to see a friend and I told him I have a feeling I might lose my dad this week. I don’t know why I told him I just felt it in my head.
‘I bought two scratch cards on the way back for my father with hope. I went and prayed for my father. I then had a nap and woke up and I had two missed calls from dad’s partner and text asking where Mick was’.
Upsetting: While he did not elaborate on his claims, Kirk also said that ‘thieving c***s’ were to blame for this father’s death
After forcing his way into the property Kirk found his father dead shortly afterwards.
Describing his father’s state of mind Kirk said: ‘I noticed my dad’s behaviour around me began to change.
‘During first lockdown in March 2020 I noticed my dad change. He always used to be early riser, drink tea in morning and watch the news and have shower. He would always be around family, we were always close. He had positive mindset.
‘He began having lie-ins, sleeping until 9am and he seemed down and depressed and seemed to have black cloud over his head.
‘It was the time my father should have been retiring. He would never discuss feelings but we were very close and always knew when we were down.
‘Moments when he was himself were short lived. He has been this way since lockdown.’
Kirk continued: ‘It feels like my dad died when I was a baby or something. All the talks and chats that I have had with my dad feels like it was a dream’ (throwback image)
The developer feared losing his house and told Kirk: ‘This money is not worth the agg, I’m better offing myself’ – offing being slang for suicide.
Kirk said in his statement: ‘I never took this seriously and thought he was joking or it was a figure of speech. I never thought he would do anything. I thought it was a way of expressing himself, I wouldn’t describe it as cry for help.
‘I never thought he would not profit from the developments. I knew it was bothering my father but I always thought he would still profit from the works but when the work was over then he would be back to his normal self’.
In a statement read aloud by the coroner, Mick’s partner Sam said Mick had severe money problems and was losing sleep over providing for his family.
He had one bank loan of £1.36million and bridging loan secured against his Essex mansion and another £1million needed to finish a development, believed to be a luxury property near his home.
His partner Sam told the inquest: ‘Due to all these projects being overrun during the course in 2020, he sold three of his cars.
‘I was also aware he cashed his private pension in early and he may have been running out of money with the funds to keep himself afloat due to large monthly outgoing.
‘It was this time in October 2020 that I noticed a change in Mick. He believed he was being conspired against. We shared everything with one another, we had endless convos and I know this was heavily burdening on his mind. I knew he was losing sleep as he told me that’.
On the eve of his death Sam said Mick had told her: ‘I’m just fed up I can’t do it anymore life isn’t meant to be like this. All I wanted was to make my family proud and be happy’, according to her statement.
Mick told his partner ‘I don’t think I’m going to get through this’ the night before his death’, the inquest heard, before being taken to hospital after taking too much insulin.
Distressing: In a statement read at the inquest, Mick’s partner Sam (pictured together) said Mick had severe money problems and was losing sleep over providing for his family
Inspector Armstrong told the coroner: ‘He shared with his partner he may have intentionally taken too much insulin before hand and may have done so deliberately and ended up going hospital to get it checked out’.
The policeman said Mick was a type 2 diabetic and ‘financial worries seemed to be at the forefront of his mind’ before his death.
A post-mortem carried out at Basildon Hospital showed the cause of death to be ‘suspension by ligature’.
Senior coroner Lincoln Brookes recorded a conclusion of suicide and said: ‘He had been under a great deal of pressure, and I accept the evidence of his family that he was a very proud man who saw himself as a provider and he was very successful.
‘The projects he was working on took longer than he banked on and weren’t going to be as profitable as he hoped. He hoped to be in position to retire. ‘I also take into account his son’s statement, that his mood deteriorated during the covid lockdown was a factor in his mental health.’
The coroner added: ‘Sadly Michael was overcome by a low mood and feeling unable to cope and sadly he acted on impulse.’
Mick was introduced to TOWIE as the owner of the Sugar Hut nightclub, the scene of many of the programme’s famous arguments between cast members.
He left the show in 2013, saying the venue’s prominent place in the show had damaged its brand.
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
Starring role: The Sugar Hut owner and reality star, who rose to fame as the man behind the nightclub TOWIE, was discovered at his home in Bulphan, Essex
