Oh, well Phoenix roebelenni is frost sensitive and is usually kept in a pot and brought into a greenhouse or conservatory for overwintering, so if its been outside, it may very well be dead. You will have to just wait and see till end of May to see if it recovers.

I have been told that if i take the leaves off it will regrow is this true

Well, it's a nice idea, but no, its not - you may want to remove the dead leaves anyway for aesthetic purposes though!