Grieving Mother Pays Tribute To Her Amazing Guy

A Mum has spoken for the first time about her hugely popular youth worker son who took his life just hours after completing a special film. Dean Clement, from Swansea, has been remembered with the launch of the film, called Consequences, which aims to highlight to young people the importance of thinking before they act.

As well as being a creative driving force, Dean had also played a starring role in the powerful production.

“He certainly left a legacy of quite a lot of good things,” said mum Gaynor McNamara.

The 35-year-old was a community development worker based in Neath with Communities First, which supported the project. It was produced by and starred youngsters from Neath and Ystalyfera, in the Swansea Valley.

Former Olchfa Comprehensive School pupil Dean, of Grenfell Park Road, St Thomas, had been working on the film with director Matthew Davies hours before he was found hanged.

Filming was complete and the pair were discussing how to put the finishing touches.

Communities First co-ordinator David Edwards said: “They were very excited about what was going to happen with it.

“Only hours before, they’d been patting each other on the back about how good the film was.

“It was very much Dean’s project, he was the force behind it.”

Mr Edwards said Dean was a much-loved member of the Communities First team, who had built up a “magic” relationship with local youngsters.

A keen surfer, artist and musician, he had recently been promoted. His entry on the myspace.com website is flooded with tributes.

“He was very likeable and had a lot going for him,” said Mr Edwards.

“It is just such a waste of a young life.”

He said the tragedy had made it a difficult decision whether to go ahead with the release of the film, in which Dean plays a father left badly hurt in a road accident by his drink-driving son.

“We didn’t know how his mother was going to react,” said Mr Edwards.

Eventually, it was with Mrs McNamara’s wholehearted blessing, that the film went out.

It features a tribute to Dean at the end, fading out with a scene of him strumming the guitar.

Mrs McNamara and many of Dean’s family and friends were present for the launch at Pontardawe Arts Centre.

“Seeing Dean in it was very emotional,” she said.

“He was very passionate about it; but it’s such a powerful film, regardless of Dean having been involved.

“I just hope it does some good. The more youngsters that see it, the better.”

Mrs McNamara, of Graig Road, Godre’rgraig, said Dean had been her best friend as well as her son.

“He was larger than life, always helping people and a real comedian,” she said.

“He was just an amazing guy. I am privileged to have been his mother. He had everything to look forward to and then he went and did such a stupid thing.”