Body of former life-prisoner found in derelict war bunker, inquest hears

David Jenkins, 62 was reported missing from his Melton home in April 2019 after failing to show up to work.

An inquest into his death, which took place at Suffolk Coroners’ Court in Ipswich on Thursday, heard how his body was found by a man foraging for mushrooms, in a tent which had been erected inside an old war bunker in the Lincolnshire woodlands, more than three months later.

The court heard how officers attended Mr Jenkins’ address in The Green, Melton after his colleagues raised the alarm on April 17.

They found his car still in the driveway and on gaining entry discovered his phone finding that Mr Jenkins was in a relationship with a woman and had not told the probation service, which was in breach of his parole terms.

The 62-year-old was on parole after being found guilty of kidnap in 2005 after which he was sentenced to life in prison.

The trial heard how Mr Jenkins’ had bought five knives as well as sexual paraphernalia before taking them, alongside a change of clothes, to an address.

He entered the property and threatened a woman with a knife before tying her up.

A second woman and child were then also threatened with a knife, and during a struggle she suffered a deep cut on her finger, while the child managed to escape to raise the alarm.

Following the trial, Mr Jenkins spent 10 years in prison before being released in 2015.

He moved to a house in Melton where he lived at the time of his death.

The inquest heard how a scavenger had wandered into the derelict bunker to find a body in Kirkland, Lincolnshire in August, 2019.

The body was identified as Mr Jenkins’ through DNA testing however a post-mortem examination could not identify the medical cause of death due to the body’s condition.

Concluding the inquest, area coroner Jacqueline Devonish passed on her condolences to Mr Jenkins’ friends and family before recording an open verdict.