Inquest starts into deaths of Emneth couple

An engaged couple were seen walking hand-in-hand and barefoot alongside the A47 moments after asking a shop assistant to call the police, an inquest heard.

Nonita Karajevaite, 24, and Tadas Zaleskas, 26, from Church Road, Emneth, died after being hit by car at Walpole Highway on July 20, 2014.

But assistant coroner David Osborne adjourned the inquest, which took place on Monday, in order for a witness to attend and give evidence.

While no evidence was heard relating to the crash, Miss Karajevaite’s sister, Dzenita Karaziniene, became concerned on July 20 after repeated attempts to contact the couple.

On July 21, she visited their locked home and saw two sets of keys. Later, she was able to get in via the kitchen window and found two dismantled mobile phones.

Mrs Karaziniene said: “It was really unusual as everything was upside-down and pictures were turned to the walls. It was very strange that both sets of keys were at home and the house was locked.”

At around 3pm a man arrived at the house with Miss Karajevaite’s driving licence and Mr Zaleskas’ passport which he had found near a roundabout.

Evidence was also given by Sasha Knight, who works at Worzals. The couple had come into the farm shop and asked her to call the police but left as she went to find a colleague.

She said: “They had walked out of the shop and were walking up the pathway. They were hand-in-hand. I stood and watched. The man turned and put his hand up. I assumed he was saying it was OK.” She later checked CCTV footage of the shop and saw Mr Zaleskas hugging Miss Karajevaite.

David Bullen found a man’s pair of trainers and a woman’s pair of plimsolls while clearing a section of conifer trees in Emneth on October 20, along with a handbag containing pictures in frames. The following day he found some personal files and an empty rucksack on the site.

The inquest heard a post mortem found 430mg per millilitre of amphetamine concentrate in Miss Karajevaite’s system along with 11.6mg of MDMA and 32mg of methadone. The cause of death was multiple injuries.

While 447mg per millilitre of amphetamine and 110mg of MDMA were found in Mr Zaleskas’ system. His cause of death was severe head injury.