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Damian Chlywka

Age: 32

Sex: male

Date: 17 Apr 2011

Place: 11a Audley Drive, Warlingham

Damian Chlywka was found dead at the bottom of a well at a house in Warlingham on 15 November 2013 by gardeners at 3.50pm.

He had been reported missing on 19 April 2011.

He was found at the bottom of a well in the garden of a house on Audley Drive in Warlingham by gardeners clearing weeds although it was not thought that he had been murdered there. The well had a grill over it and one of the labourers noted that one of the padlocks securing it was snapped and looked in.

He had been assaulted before his death and then tied up and wrapped up in blue plastic sheeting and dumped in the well which was 7ft deep.

Ten people were arrested for his murder but were all released without charge.

His post-mortem stated that it was impossible to determine his cause of death due to the degree of decomposition of his body. However, he had fractures to his skull just below his eye suggesting that he had been punched in the face as well as broken bones in his chest indicating that he had been kicked and stamped on. The pathologist said that there were no signs of other natural diseases but said that he did find traces of amphetamines and cannabis in his body.

His inquest heard that of three suspects, two were likely to be dead and another in Poland. The police said that they spoke to a number of people that were known to Damian Chlywka at the time and narrowed the suspects down to between one and five people who were described as mostly Polish nationals, some of whom had a high propensity to violence and assaults on their co-workers. The police said that one of the men that the police thought was key to the investigation was in Poland and that they wanted to arrest him but said that the Crown Prosecution Service had refused their request for a European Arrest Warrant because they said the case was not ready for trial. However, the police said that they were still keen to speak to the man and were waiting to travel to Poland to do so.

The police also said at the inquest that two other suspects in the case were probably already dead.

The inquest returned a verdict of unlawful killing.

Damian Chlywka had lived in Virginia Road, Thornton Heath where he was last seen on 17 April 2011 when he had said he was going to help a friend with some painting and decorating at their house. An Oyster card for travel on the London transport network was found on his body that had been last used on 17 April 2011. It was noted that he had also lived at other addresses in Hounslow.

He had also previously lived at the house on Audley Drive in Warlingham which had been used by Polish workers since 2006 with over 80 different men having lived there during that period.

He was thought to have been in the well for over two and a half years based on the state of decomposition of his body.

It was thought that Damian Chlywka had come to the UK from Glogow in Poland in 2008 and had worked as a labourer and a car cleaner as well as at car showrooms across south London and Surrey. He had last been in contact with his family in Poland in 2010.


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