It is a story that speaks to the unpretentious nature Ethan, a computing enthusiast and gaming lover, had his whole life, his father, originally from Manchester, says.
“He was a great kid, straight through school,” says Michael, who lives in Silsden, near Bradford. “He wasn’t any trouble, ever.
“He kept himself to himself most of his life. He had friends, but he was more at home sat on his headset playing online games with people.”
Michael says that even with hindsight, there were never any signs that Ethan would take his own life, as he did in June 2024.
He was doing a digital marketing and media apprenticeship in Leeds at the time, had made a solid batch of friends with whom he would enjoy the city’s nightlife and had “come out of his shell”.
But one early summer weekend, Ethan stormed off after a “stupid argument” with his father.
Michael headed out on the Sunday morning in an effort to find him.
“It was around 08:00 and I had that feeling there was something not right,” Michael recalls.
“He’d been out and not come back and was still angry.
“I went to go and find him, bring him back home and calm the situation down.”
Michael cannot explain why, but “instinctively” he drove to a nearby location where it would transpire Ethan had died.
“I saw two police cars there and I knew instantly,” he says.