Four years after a young man vanished from the Norfolk coast, a macabre discovery has deepened the mystery surrounding his fate. The amputated feet of Pawel Martyniak were found washed up on two beaches roughly 500 miles apart, an inquest has heard.
A Troubled Disappearance and a Grisly Discovery
Pawel Martyniak was last seen on 30 November 2021 outside his family home in Great Yarmouth. The 21-year-old had assaulted his mother and sister before leaving, with doorbell footage capturing him walking along Carrel Road in Gorleston. Despite an immediate high-risk missing person search, no trace of him was found.
The first chilling clue emerged over a year later, on 2 March 2023, when a trainer containing a sock and human foot bones washed ashore on the coast of Sweden. Just weeks later, on 21 March 2023, a dog walker made a similar discovery on Winterton beach in Norfolk. DNA analysis confirmed both remains belonged to Pawel Martyniak.
Inquest Reveals History of Mental Health Struggles
Norfolk Coroner’s Court, led by Coroner Mrs Blake, heard that Pawel had a history of severe mental health challenges. He had been diagnosed with a severe depressive disorder and had stopped taking his medication in June 2021. The hearing was told he had also spoken about experiencing gender dysphoria and had sought a referral to a gender clinic.
Pawel was under the care of the Beaches Medical Centre GP surgery and the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT). Mental health practitioner Ian Steward-Anderson described him as a "very thoughtful, sensitive young man" who was "clearly very troubled". He noted Pawel had been "ruminating on his failings" after dropping out of the University of Essex in 2019.
In a family statement, his relatives expressed belief that he had not received "the necessary care and treatment" and that his care had been "neglected and mismanaged". In response, Dr Sunder Gopaul, reading a statement from the GP surgery, said the practice was not aware he had stopped his medication and would have "acted on it promptly" if they had known.
An Unresolved Mystery
Despite the grim discoveries, the inquest could not determine how Pawel died. Coroner Mrs Blake recorded that it was not possible to ascertain any cause of death. She offered her profound sympathy to Pawel's parents, stating: "I can't even imagine what it feels like - I can only think. I'm sorry you've had to go through all this as well."
The case remains open, a haunting puzzle with crucial pieces still missing. The question of how his feet became separated and travelled such vast distances continues to baffle investigators and torment a family seeking closure.
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