The body of a desperately sick and lonely man was found lying in his Tenambit home yesterday – nearly four weeks after his friends last saw him alive.
Shocked neighbour Janelle Griffiths told the Mercury that she last saw her friend Robert Davies nearly four weeks ago after she cooked him a roast dinner.
But she became alarmed yesterday when she noticed the letterbox at his Crawford Avenue home bulging with unclaimed mail.
“It had heaps of mail inside and I realised I hadn’t seen Rob for nearly four weeks,” Ms Griffiths said.
“So I went up to his window and peered through,” she said.
“I could see Rob lying on his bed.
“I banged on the window and yelled his name – but he wasn’t moving.
“When I rang his phone several times, a message just said he was ‘busy.’
“It was very scary, so I rang police.”
Government contractors wearing anti-contamination suits removed Mr Davies’ body yesterday afternoon.
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances and the matter would be referred to the coroner, who also attended the scene yesterday
A police spokesman said the body had been in the house for about a week – but several neighbours said they had not seen Mr Davies for nearly four weeks.
“I am just taking it so bad,” Ms Griffiths said.
“Rob told me when I last saw him: ‘I class you as as my family.’
“I first met him when I moved here in July.
“He came up to me and said: ‘Hello, my name is Rob Davies – welcome to Tenambit.’
“We became good friends and I would do his washing for him.
“About the last time I saw him alive was nearly four weeks ago when he came over for tea,” she said.
“He was a very sick man who suffered from epilepsy and many other illnesses.”
Jay Broughton, a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, learned of Mr Davies’ death yesterday when he called to see him.
“This is terrible news,” Mr Broughton said.
“Rob is a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
“I have been ringing him several times this week and came to see him a couple of times, but it seemed he wasn’t in.
“I have known him since the start of the year and he was always a very sick man.
“It’s about four weeks since I last saw him.
“He was a lovely person who would do anything to help anyone.”
June Banister told how Mr Davies would “pop in for a coffee” from time to time.
“I knew he was very sick and he seemed to be by himself a lot,” Ms Banister said.
“He used to get Meals On Wheels from time to time and people would sometimes call to see him.
“When he was well enough, Rob would ride his bike to do his shopping and he would wave as he passed,” she said.
“It’s been more than two weeks since I last saw him.
“I think it is a terrible tragedy that a person can pass away like this and lie in his house for so long before someone finds him.
“That something like this can happen in our street – and nobody knows – is so very sad.”
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