The severed feet of a British man who vanished over three years ago were discovered washed up on beaches hundreds of miles apart, a coroner's court has heard.
A macabre discovery across the North Sea
Pawel Martyniak, who was 21 years old, was last seen at his home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on 30 November 2021. After assaulting his mother and sister, he left the property and vanished. More than 15 months later, in a grim and puzzling development, one of his feet was found washed ashore in Sweden. In the same month, his other foot, still inside a trainer and sock, was discovered on Winterton beach in Norfolk.
An inquest at Norfolk Coroner's Court confirmed that both feet were identified as belonging to Martyniak through DNA testing. Coroner Yvonne Blake stated that after leaving home, Martyniak was captured on a doorbell camera walking along Carrel Road in Gorleston. Despite this, she concluded it was impossible to ascertain how he died.
A troubled history with mental health services
The hearing revealed Martyniak had a history of severe depression and had stopped taking his medication around five months before he disappeared, without his GP's knowledge. His family issued a statement claiming he had been denied appropriate treatment and that the care he received was "neglected and mismanaged."
The inquest also heard that the 21-year-old had requested an appointment with a gender clinic after beginning to identify as female. He had been under the care of a local NHS mental health service in 2020 after dropping out of his course at the University of Essex.
Social worker Ian Steward-Anderson described Martyniak as a "very thoughtful, sensitive young man" who was "ruminating on his failings" and showed signs of "psychotic symptoms."
System failures and an unresolved mystery
Dr Sunder Gopaul, a GP at Beaches Medical Centre, told the inquiry he was unaware Martyniak had ceased his medication, adding the practice would have acted had they known. Coroner Blake offered her condolences to the family, saying, "I can’t even imagine what it feels like – I can only think. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through all this."
The case remains a profound mystery, with no cause of death established and a family left grieving a loss compounded by the horrific nature of the discoveries and perceived failings in mental health support.
