Fire death murder probe: Inquest adjourned as coroner awaits post-mortem results

Police tape at the front of the Manor House care home

Polish national Patryk Rafal Mortimer died in a blaze which started at the former Manor House care home, in Easington Lane, in the early hours of Saturday, November 3, last year.

Police officers received a report of a fire at the building in Pemberton Bank, High Street, at around 2.40am on the day Mr Mortimer died.

Mr Mortimer was pulled from the building, but was pronounced dead a short time later, despite the efforts of firefighters and paramedics to save him.

Six crews of four firefighters were sent from stations at Sunderland Central, Farringdon, West Denton, Gosforth and South Shields to tackle the blaze.

Police confirmed in November that they were treating his death as murder.

Six people arrested in connection with the fire on suspicion of murder have been released but remain under investigation, a spokesman for Northumbria Police confirmed.

Patryk Mortimer, 39, who died following a fire at the former Manor House Care Home in Easington Lane in the early hours of Saturday, November 3.

An pre-inquest review hearing into 39-year-old Mr Mortimer’s death was opened and adjourned at Sunderland Coroner’s Court.

City coroner Derek Winter said at a previous hearing that a post-mortem examination had been carried out but he was awaiting the results.

He told the short hearing: “For the record, the medical reports are not quite available so that I could conclude this part of my investigation.

“My intention is to adjourn for four weeks and I will sit again on Thursday, March 28 at 10.30am where I hopefully be in a position to list the case for a final hearing.”

Scene of crime investigators at the Manor House care home murder scene, Easington Lane. Picture by FRANK REID

Speaking a month after Mr Mortimer’s death, detective chief inspector John Bent, the senior investigating officer in the case, said: “We are treating this as a homicide investigation as we map out the sequence of events that led to Patryk’s death.

“His family deserve to know the circumstances surrounding his death.

“We will do everything we can to allow them some kind of closure and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 146 031118 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.