Grief-stricken wife and daughter of a mentally ill man tell how they found him hanged

The tearful wife and daughter of a man who had been suffering with mental health difficulties has told an inquest how they had discovered his body in his bedroom.
Chesterfield coroner's courtChesterfield coroner's court
Chesterfield coroner's court

Chesterfield coroner’s court heard on Monday, April 16, how Marek Niemczyk, 49, of Hill Cottages, on Grove Place, at Youlgreave, was pronounced dead by an East Midlands Ambulance Service paramedic at about 7pm, on February 18, 2016, shortly after the discovery.

Mr Niemczyk’s wife Danuta revealed her husband had become nervous and paranoid from April, 2015, and she confirmed he had said he did not want to live anymore and he feared he was being watched by people.

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The couple’s daughter Wiktoria told the hearing how her dad had visited her mum’s work on February 18 and he came back and went into his bedroom and her mum returned from work about 6pm to find him hanging.

Wiktoria said: “We went upstairs and tried to open the door but couldn’t and we came back downstairs to get a screwdriver and tried to take the handle off the door and that wouldn’t allow us in and mum suggested going to a neighbour’s house to see if someone would kick the door down.”

A neighbour kicked the door in, according to Wiktoria, before he went back home to alert his partner.

Wiktoria added: “We saw him hanging from the wardrobe to which we just began screaming.”

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Mrs Niemczyk and the neighbour’s partner placed Mr Niemczyk on the bed with hopes he was still alive and the neighbour’s partner rang the paramedics.

Pathologist Dr Dierdre McKenna confirmed machine operator Mr Niemczyk had a background of mental health illness and had seen his GP, been referred to a mental health team, attended a police station in Derby claiming he had been poisoned, had been referred to Royal Derby Hospital, attended Newholme Hospital, in Bakewell, and had been referred to Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

Mrs Niemczyk said her husband had seen a doctor in April and in October, of 2015, and he was referred to Newholme Hospital, in Bakewell, but he said he did not want help and he later complained to police on February 16 someone had been poisoning him but hospital tests revealed nothing in his system.

An appointment was made to visit Newholme Hospital on February 17 but Mrs Niemczyk said her husband initially drove away and then claimed his car had broken down and he would meet them back at the hospital where he was assessed and taken to Chesterfield Royal Hospital before returning home.

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Mrs Niemczyk added that after a restless night her husband visited her at work on February 18 and it was not until she got home at 6.10pm that she and her daughter discovered Mr Niemczyk’s body.

Pathologist Dr McKenna, who confirmed there was no alcohol or drugs in Mr Niemczyk’s system, gave the cause of death as hanging and cited depression and mental health issues as a contributory factor.

Police Constable Paul Booker, who attended the family home, said police were satisfied no one else had been involved in the death and indicated there were no suspicious circumstances.

The inquest is expected to conclude on Thursday, April 19.