Bristol man stabbed himself to death

A Polish stabbed himself to death in Bristol after his fiancee broke off their engagement.

Syzmon Kawczynski, 25, who worked as a painter and decorator, was found by his former fiancee, who he still lived with, in the early hours of January 5 last year, slumped in the kitchen of their flat with stab wounds to his neck and left wrist.

When police and an ambulance crew arrived at the flat in Queen's Avenue, Clifton, Mr Kawczynski was still alive but he was later pronounced dead at the scene.

His former fiancee Patricia Kowalska was initially arrested as a suspect, but after questioning she was released without charge.

A note in Polish written by Mr Kawczynski, that was attached to the fridge door in the kitchen, read: "I would not have done anything to her. She knows. I loved her with my sick head. No one wanted to help me. Sorry Patty."

An inquest heard that Mr Kawczynski and Miss Kowalska had first met in Poland. Miss Kowalska moved to Bristol in February 2005 and Mr Kawczynski arrived a month later.

While Mr Kawczynski worked as a painter and decorator, Miss Kowalska had a number of jobs including at the Berkeley Square hotel and Boulangerie cafe on Queen's Road.

In a statement read out to the inquest on her behalf, Miss Kowalska, who has since returned to live in Poland, said that Mr Kawczynski was an alcoholic, who often became paranoid and jealous of her seeing other men, although she had not had another boyfriend since the pair split up.

Miss Kowalska had spent Christmas 2007 in Poland, leaving Mr Kawczynski alone in their flat. She returned to Bristol on January 4 last year, hours before Mr Kawczynski killed himself.

That day, the pair had visited McDonalds in Broadmead, done some shopping and then returned to the flat.

Soon after 2.30am, Miss Kowalska was woken up by noises in the flat. She said she heard "choking noises" and Mr Kawczynski swear and say, "I'm sorry". She found him slumped in the kitchen, covered in blood.

PC Damian Hamilton-Smith, the first policeman to arrive in the flat, told the inquest: "The female (Miss Kowalska) was crying and screaming. There was blood all over the room. His (Mr Kawczynski's) face was a grey colour, his eyes were staring."

When Mr Kawczynski died soon afterwards, PC Damian Hamilton-Smith told Miss Kowalska and then arrested her on suspicion of his murder.

He added: "I was informed when I came back to duty that the female had been released later that day without charge, and the male's injuries were found to be self-inflicted."

Avon deputy coroner Brian Whitehouse recorded a verdict of suicide where the balance of the mind is disturbed.

He said: "This is a tragic story of a young Polish man taking his own life for reasons that to me remain unclear."