Whizkid broker commit suicide over web prank

Anjool 'Jools' Malde, an Oxford graduate and a stockbroker, leapt 80ft to his death after fearing that he would lose his job after playing an intended office humor and pranks at work.

Posing as one of his clients, he left a silly message that read: "I am hot, I am hot" on a financial website. Investigators think this was probably a reference to his client being on a successful investment run. Mr Malde's client, who works for Brevan Howard, a leading hedge fund management firm, did not see the funny side and made a formal complaint to the company which runs the discussion forum.

The resulting investigation suggested that Mr Malde had impersonated the client from his office computer at Deutsche Bank which prompted the bank's bosses to send Mr Malde home on Friday pending a full investigation.

Two days later, as he prepared to celebrate his 25th birthday, Mr Malde jumped from an eighth-floor restaurant near the Bank of England. Colleagues believe he was convinced he would lose his job.

Mr Malde was working long hours at the bank's London headquarters and was often at his desk by 6am. In recent times three of his colleagues had been let go by the bank and Jools seemed very worried he might be the next to leave one friend said.

Police have found no evidence that Mr Malde had downloaded any inappropriate material on his computer or was involved in any criminal behaviour. Yesterday his distraught parents released a statement in which they spoke of their 'devastation' after losing their only child.

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