Body of Anthony Gowing found by niece checking in on him

Anthony Gowing, of Boadicea Close, Thetford, was a vulnerable amputee who had a long history of mental ill health. 

Although he was actively engaging with several agencies at the time of his death, his family became concerned after not hearing from him. 

When his niece visited his house last year, she saw her uncle “slumped in a chair” and called emergency services. 

Paramedics attended and declared him dead at the scene on August 3. 

Norfolk's senior coroner, Jacqueline Lake (Image: Newsquest)

At an inquest held into his death at Norfolk Coroner’s Court this week, it heard that Mr Gowing had a medical history that included a previous diagnosis of schizophrenia. 

He also had a long history of drug abuse and alcohol use. 

His sister, Alison Watson, who attended the Norwich-based court, said her brother had “seemed happy” the last time she saw him. 

But his mental health declined following the sudden death of his brother, David, who died by suicide in May 2021. 

In a statement to the senior coroner, Jacqueline Lake, Mrs Watson said: “When we lost our parents, Anthony went into decline.  

“He never had a family of his own. He missed them and felt so alone. 

“He tried to live on his own and make friends, but the only friends he had were addicts. 

“This was a slow decline for him. 

“As his siblings, his older brother David and I, tried to help him over the years. 

“In May 2021, David took his own life. He was 57 years old. 

“Anthony and I took this badly as we both hadn’t realised he was ill, and it was a shock to us both and our families.” 

Norfolk Coroner's Court (Image: Newsquest)

Summing up the evidence, Mrs Lake said: “Throughout the rest of the year, following his brother’s death, Anthony continued to have difficulties with his mental health and drug use.” 

In the weeks before his death, he was visited by the mental health team, police officers, and mental health and substance abuse support services. 

From July 21, four further welfare checks were carried out, but no alarms were raised. 

On August 3, his niece carried out her own welfare check on the family's behalf, which was when she found her uncle deceased. 

Mrs Watson added: “Anthony was a vulnerable adult with mental health problems and disabled. 

“He had been dead for over two weeks when he was found. In that period, he had two visits from social services and two visits from police. 

“How long does it take someone to do something?  

“How much longer would he had been left there if [his niece] didn’t go? Does anybody care?” 

Mrs Lake concluded that Mr Gowing died from a “gastrointestinal haemorrhage, the cause of which is not revealed by the evidence.” 

She added: “His death was contributed to by drug toxicity.” 

The youngest of three siblings, Mr Gowing was born in Norwich on December 20, 1969, and lived on the Heartsease estate with “a fairly good upbringing”. 

His father worked on the oil rigs in Aberdeen, in Scotland, and his mother at Start-Rite Shoes in Norwich. 

After school, he went to college and completed a City and Guild's qualification in cookery. 

Following this, he worked as a chef for a while before becoming a hospital porter at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. 

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