‘Excellent father’ was found dead near canal
ROBERT CHATWIN WAS THE ‘BEST FRIEND’ TO HIS TWO DAUGHTERS
THE family of a man found dead two days after going missing have described him as an “excellent father” and “best friend” to his daughters.
The hours leading up to the disappearance of Robert Chatwin from Long Eaton were outlined at the inquest into his death,.
Police say he was found in a wooded area near the Erewash Canal, just off the Dockholm canal path, on April 8, 2019.
The 37-year-old had two daughters who were his “best friends”, and he was described by his former partner as an “excellent father”. The inquest heard how Mr Chatwin was kind and often went round to her house to help with the day-to-day care of their children in a statement written by Mr Chatwin’s ex-partner Kelly Riley.
Ms Riley added: “He said to me I might not be able to help you financially, but I can still help you around the house.
“His best friends were the girls. They adored him and he adored them.”
On April 5, the day he disaappeared, Mr Chatwin picked up his youngest daughter, Ivy Rose, from nursery and visited the salon Ms Riley worked at.
He then went to Greggs with his daughter to get her some food before heading home.
A couple of hours later, Ms Riley received a phone call from her mum, Amanda, telling her that Mr Chatwin had left Ivy Rose alone at home and disappeared. Both women were “shocked”, describing it as “very unusual” for the “loving father” to have left his young daughter on her own, having never done anything like this in the past.
The hearing heard that an eyewitness saw him walking along a street several times that day before walking in the direction of the nearby canal, saying that he looked like he was “staggering and unsteady on his feet as if he was under the influence of alcohol”.
The police were informed the next morning of Mr Chatwin’s disappearance.
An acquaintance of Mr Chatwin, who was cycling along the canal, spoke to him about three hours after the earier sighting. The man had known Mr Chatwin for roughly 15 years and said then had asked if he was doing all right.
The inquest heard statements from several dog walkers travelling along the canal on April 5 who heard a male voice groaning in an area near the canal, which was shrouded in tall reeds.
One of the dog walkers, Karen Tenant, said she heard a “groggy” voice shouting for help, although she couldn’t see the man.
She approached the area and told the inquest she thought the voice sounded like the person “may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs”.
She told the man she was going to phone the police, when a different voice shouted back, “we’re just messing about”.
Despite this, Ms Tenant still rang the police.
Officers attended two hours later.
The police log about the incident stated: “Area searched, nothing seen, nothing heard.”
Two days later, Ms Tenant saw a Facebook post from Ms Riley about Mr Chatwin’s disappearance.
She rang police again about what she had witnessed on April 5 and offered to show them exactly where the incident happened.
In the early hours of April 8, Ms Tenant, along with police officers, visited the area where she had heard the calls for help.
She told the hearing: “It was pitch black. One officer went left of where the shouts were from and the other went right. It took them less than five minutes to find a body.”
Mr Chatwin’s inquest continues and is expected to end today.
The hearing is being held at Derby Coroner’s Court.
He said ‘I might not be able to help you financially but I can help you around the house’ Kelly Riley