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au

Zach dropped off his laundered

uniform at Woolworths along with a
note. Hours later he took his own life

Amy Sinclair / Queensland News / Updated 26.10.2021Share Share to

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9-11 minutes

A Queensland mother has spoken of her heartbreak and anger

over the tragic death of her son, who was employed at Woolworths
supermarket.

Dhanni MacLeod says she’s been left “devastated and numb” over
the passing of her 21-year-old son, Zachary, who ended his own life
on Wednesday, September 22.

The mum has told 7NEWS.com.au that her son had been dealing
with “unspeakable stress” in his role fulfilling orders for online
customers at one Queensland Woolworths store.

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She said Zach likened his job to “a nightmare that even Freddy
Kruger would be afraid of”.

Dhanni said after a particularly stressful day on September 21,

Zach made the decision to end his life and wrote two suicide letters
to his friends which he then posted.

Zach then washed, ironed and folded his Woolworths uniforms and
placed them in a bag with another suicide note, which he left at the
store he worked at later that night.

A final note was left at his home.

Zachary Henricks passed away on September 22. Credit:
Facebook

“He couldn’t face going back into work,” Dhanni told

7NEWS.com.au.

“He laundered his work uniforms - washed, ironed, folded it all - and
took them back to the office on a Tuesday night when he knew no
one would be there.

“The letters he wrote to his best friends, they forwarded them to us.
He left a copy at home as well, and it’s all work, work, work.’

"‘His friends received their notes in the mail a few hours after they
learned that he’d died.’"
Dhanni said Zach described his job as “a nightmare that even
Freddy Kruger would be afraid of”.

“I think Zach may have sent the uniforms back as a ‘mud in your
eye’ type of thing, to put it politely,” she said.

“His friends received their notes in the mail a few hours after they
learned that he’d died. It was just awful.

“The police read out the note he left with his Woolworths uniform to
us on the morning he died, but I don’t remember it now. It’s all a
blur. The police still have the note.”

A Woolworths spokesperson has told 7NEWS.com.au that Zach

“was a much-loved member of our team and will be sorely missed”.

7NEWS.com.au understands that the supermarket will be reviewing

the circumstances surrounding his employment up until his passing.

‘Just leave, darling’

Dhanni said that in the week leading up to his death, Zach had
been promoted to a managerial role.

“His manager went away for three weeks holiday. They pushed
Zach into a management role that he wasn’t ready for, that tipped
him over the edge,” she said.

“He’d been having trouble with work for quite some time.

"‘He didn’t cry in front of us, I just had no idea’"

“He said he hated Woolworths, but he was just skimming the

surface with us. He didn’t tell us how bad it was.

“I said, ‘Just leave, just leave darling.’ But he said I can’t because if
I do, it will be letting the team down and they will be more
understaffed.

“He couldn’t leave Woolworths, but he could end his life.”

Zach’s mother said her son had been stressed from his job at
Woolworths in the lead-up up to his death. Credit: Facebook

Dhanni said she wished he knew how much Zach’s Woolworths job
was affecting him.
“He didn’t cry in front of us, I just had no idea,” she said.

“I’m a mature woman, have been through a lot. I can’t imagine that
sort of stress for a young person. It’s that horrible that I can’t even
imagine it.

“It’s just dreadful. He’ll never walk the face of this earth again, [I’ll
never] touch him again, look at him again.

“He was such a beautiful young man.”

‘Friendly, smiling face’

Dhanni said she and her husband, William, hosted a memorial for
Zach last week, asking friends and locals to come together to
celebrate his life.

It was there that she learned just how much their boy had affected
the lives of so many others, including Woolworths customers.

“There was an older couple in their late sixties, early seventies, at

the memorial” she said.

“They came up to me and she had an orchard in a pot and I said,

‘How did you know Zachary?’

“They said that they shopped at the Woolworths store where he

worked and that his face was a familiar, friendly, smiling face.

“They said he was a well-mannered young man. They didn’t even

know him - they were shoppers and he was online. But they still
saw his smiling face around the store and saw how beautiful he
was.”

Zach at age 14, with his father William. Credit: Facebook

Dhanni said it has brought her great comfort to know that a good
Samaritan was with Zach in the moments after he died.

“He saw it happened and rushed to Zach and tried everything to

help him,” she said.

“He was able to tell the investigators that he had died straight away
and that he hadn’t suffered, and that has brought me comfort
knowing that. I was upset thinking about his final moments.
“I haven’t met this good Samaritan, but I would like to thank him for
trying to help Zach and being there for him.”

Dhanni said his son had been planning his future in the months
leading up to his death.

“He was planning on staying around,” she said.

"‘My youngest just doesn’t want to leave us, I don’t know how I’ll
cope moving forward’"

“He had his COVID vaccination, he had bought a new car, he was
planning to move out next year.

“He had his own studio here and had everything he needed.

“The Air Force Cadet for years was part of his life for so long, he
was very good at that and that he loved that.

“He knew he wanted to become an Air Force Cadet when he was

10 - and he was planning on joining the Air Force in January.

Zach spent six years as an Air Force Cadet. Credit: Facebook

It was helping other people that Zach truly cherished.

“He was an old soul who listened to music from the 40s, stuff we
loved. He loved smooth jazz, he was very articulate. Very well-
spoken,” Dhanni added.

"‘He had never even been in love yet’"

“Now walking out in the driveway and not seeing his car every
morning, it just hits me right in the heart that he’s gone. Or when I
lock the door that we always left open for him when he was out. It’s
those little reminders.”

She said she doesn’t know how to pick up the pieces after her
son’s sudden passing, saying that it’s left Zach’s siblings
devastated also.

‘So much has been taken away’

“Our son was only 21, he hadn’t experienced so many things,” she
said.
“He had never even been in love yet. So much has been taken
away from us, and you have no choice.

“We have an older daughter who just moved down to NSW and she
can’t come back because of the border restrictions.

“Our 17-year-old son is in final year at high school - this happened

in the first week of his school holidays and he hasn’t been able to
get back to school. It’s just too difficult.

“This happened when my husband, younger son and I were at

home. The three of us have been here ever since.

“My youngest just doesn’t want to leave us, I don’t know how I’ll
cope moving forward.”

Dhanni said her son ‘was a beautiful young man’. Credit: Facebook

Since sharing her son’s story on Facebook, Dhanni said she’s

determined to take on Woolworths and make sure another
employee doesn’t experience what her son did.

“So many other people have contacted us to share their stories, my

son wouldn’t want that either,” she said.

“Hundreds of people have sent messages to me via his memorial

page on Facebook to share their experiences at Woolworths and
other stores, and I feel like Zach would want me to help them.

“I was brought up eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. I said to my

husband that I want to put placards around my neck and chain
myself to pillar outside Woolworths, just so people know what
happened to him.

“This is every parent’s worst nightmare.”

Dhanni has told 7NEWS.com.au that she has received a $5,000

payment from Woolworths in her bank account in the weeks
following Zach’s death.

She also received $2,000 in Woolworths gift cards in her letterbox,

after requesting help with catering Zach’s memorial service.

7NEWS.com.au understands that Woolworths provided the

financial support to the family in line with its bereavement policy.
File image of a Woolworths store. Credit: DAN
HIMBRECHTS/AAPIMAGE

Woolworths responds

A Woolworths spokesperson has told 7NEWS.com.au that the

supermarket is unable to comment on the details surrounding
Zach’s passing.

“We’re devastated by Zach’s tragic passing and our thoughts

remain with his loved ones at this incredibly difficult time,” the
spokesperson said.

“Zach was a much-loved member of our team and will be sorely

missed.

“We’ve extended our deepest condolences to the family and been

in close contact over recent weeks to offer our care and practical
support.

“We understand the accident is the subject of a police investigation,

which we will of course assist in any way we can.

“It would be inappropriate for us to make any further comment at

this time.”

7NEWS.com.au understands that Woolworths has arranged for

counsellors to visit the store where Zach was employed and
continues to offer support to its team members.

If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

For further information about depression contact beyondblue

on 1300 224 636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or
someone you trust.

In an emergency, call 000.