David Lidgey

Hi, and welcome back to The Unseen Podcast, a podcast dedicated to missing people, unresolved cases, and UK true crime. Today's episode five of twelve episodes of missing person cases throughout December. Today we're going to be covering the disappearance of Dr David Lidgey from his home in Norfolk in twenty eleven. He left behind his wife and his children, and his disappearance baffled everyone who knew him. This episode is about a missing person and so does not contain any

graphic descriptions. However, it does contain some descriptions of possible mental illness, so listener discretion is always advised. Hillgay is a village around four miles from the town of Downham Market in Norfolk. It's a small village which had only around thirteen hundred people as recorded in the twenty eleven census. It's a small place, with a lot of the facilities being in down a Market which has a train station with links to London's King's Cross and another town, King's Lynn

in Norfolk. Doctors David and Shonah lidge lived in the town of Hillgay in twenty eleven with their three children. The family had moved from London four years previously, and the couple had met while on a GP training course in nineteen ninety five. Shona would later say that David was a devoted father who loved to play boisterous games with his children and was very interested in instilling his own love of sport. Shona later said that she loved him totally and that he

was both a good husband and a good father to their children. Despite this, Shona would later say that David wasn't completely happy with his life in Norfolk. She stated that in early twenty eleven, David had gone into what she described as a depressive episode. Shona had found it relatively easy to find a job in Norfolk and had been offered a GP partnership. However, David had

struggled and did not enjoy the lowcome temporary position that he had. Shonah said that this had been a source of dissatisfaction, but that this seemed to be the culmination of problems that had been building for a while. Shooner explained that this was not the first time that David had suffered with depression, and he had been affected by some traumatic events that had happened to him in his life. She explained that as a young doctor, one of his closest friends had

taken their own life. Then, in two thousand and one, both of his parents had died within a very short time of each other, which had caused him great distress. Working in southeast London had also caused David to become worried about his and the family's safety, as on one occasion he had to protect a mother and daughter from a man who badged into his GP surgery with a knife. On another occasion, he was attacked by someone with a hammer

due to a road rage incident. All of these things had left David feeling worried and unhappy with his life in London, and it was at this point that he decided moving to the countryside would be the best idea for him and his family. This, however, also did not turn out the way that he had hoped it would. David would have depressive episodes sporadically throughout his relationship with Shona. However, when he was approached about possibly getting help about it,

he would shrug it off. He would only discuss this with Shona, and no one else knew about the extent of his troubles. He told Shona that he believed that it would affect the way in which others saw him, including his colleagues. Shona stated to the Mirror newspaper in twenty twenty two. Of course that wasn't true because his care would have been confidential and the medical

profession deals with this illness every day. But David felt he had to deal with the condition in his own way, an all too common male approach to depression. The irony is he was very good at helping other depress people. Ex Patients have phoned me up saying how wonderful he was with them. It's so sad his pride didn't allow him to take that help himself. The move didn't work out for him, but I also feel that he had some unresolved

problems that had been building for years. Shona added in the Daily Mail. It was a really difficult time. David was very angry and bitter, and I felt him withdrawing from the family. He really wasn't talking to me at all. He spoke constantly of moving again, but the children were settled in new schools and we couldn't afford to go back to London. On the morning of the twenty ninth of June, twenty eleven, David dropped the children off

at school as usual. Shona later recalled that while dropping the children off was part of the usual routine, the couple had had an argument that morning before he left. She said that they had been discussing her plans to take the children to Alton Towers on a weekend that David was working. Shonah had not seen a problem with these plans, as she later said that David hated theme

parks and would not have wanted to go anyway. David, however, was upset and angry about the fact that they would be going without him, and Shonah said she was surprised by his reaction. She stated, though, that by the time he left to take the kids to school and she left for work, he seemed more of his normal self. Shona left for work, but later on that morning she received a text from David. The text said that he felt unwell and he was going to take the day off. Shona

returned home later on that day, but David wasn't there. Instead of David, there was a handwritten note which read gone for a walk. David was known to go on long walks on the fence, and so the fact that he went for a walk was not out of the ordinary. There were some worrying things though. David had left behind many of his belongings, In fact, pretty much all of his belongings. Shona said, I kept calling his mobile phone, but he wouldn't answer. Then, after some time I realized

I could hear it ringing upstairs in the bedroom. He left his car, passport, wallet, all of his credit cards, even the loose change in his pockets. All he took were the house keys. Shona also added that David had left behind his leather and tool and a tag Huer watch, which which had been both gifts from her. She said, it felt like a very personal message to me that he was leaving and wasn't coming back. It

was as if he'd just shed a life he didn't want any more. When David didn't return, Shona became worried, and the fact that he'd left all of these important belongings behind made his family all the more concerned. There were no real indications as to where David had gone, and the only known sighting of him that day was by a neighbor who saw him return home around forty

minutes after setting out to take the children to school. David's family were worried, but also knew that this was not the first time that he had left the home in recent months. Shona would later explain that six weeks before the day he disappeared, she and David had had another trivial argument and David had left the home and driven off in his car. Shonah said he wouldn't answer his phone or write a text, and the children were really upset. Shown

arang the police because she was worried about his mental well being. David was very apologetic when he came back the next morning. He told me he realized how silly it had been and promised it would never happen again. This has an eerie similarity to what happened on the morning of June the twenty ninth, and this was something that he had done before. Where had he gone and why had he left behind all of his belongings. He actually addressed this previous

disappearance on June the twenty ninth as he took his children to school. His son Arthur explained this, saying, in the car, my father kept apologizing to us, saying how sorry he was for upsetting us by leaving a few weeks earlier, he told us how much he loved us. That was the last thing we ever heard him say. This would also not be the only

time that David would speak about leaving his home and his family. Shooner explained that she found out that around nine months before his disappearance, David had approached a former colleague of his that worked in London and asked them for a reference for a job. David said he wanted to move to Australia. When he was asked if it was just him or the family as well, he apparently replied, no, I'm going by myself. It's my sanity or my family.

These incidents prior to David's disappearance, of course, were a concern and made David's family worry that something similar could have happened this time. This time, however, David did not return like the previous occasion, and Shona began to search for her husband. There didn't seem to be any information about where David had gone, and without being able to trace his mobile phone, his movements were unknown. After he went missing, there were some sightings of him

which were phoned into police. Its reported that a man matching his description was seen at five a m. In a road in Leicester, where David used to live as a medical student. It stated that this man called up at a window and was searching for his former landlord. There was also another sighting at a football match in the city. It reported that the charity Missing People supported the family by distributing posters across the country and by putting adverts in classified

ads. They also set up a dedicated phone line and helped to follow up leads that came up. Despite this, however, little information seemed to be forthcoming. Shown A later said about this time, I was so desperate I wanted to climb up Big Ben and shout, Where's David? How do I find him? It was horrendous. We missed him so much. None of us will ever fully recover from it. It has maimed us in a way. A year after David went missing, shown Her explained that something else took

over her life when David and Shona's son Arthur became ill. Shooner explained that as much as she wanted to find David, her children had to come first. Arthur had been devastated by his father's disappearance, and as a result, he had struggled with his weight. This had reportedly plummeted to around six stone three pounds and he became very ill. Shonah said, I felt that I just couldn't search for David anymore because he was an adult and Arthur was a

child and needed me more. Ruth was in the middle of her GCSEs and also suffering. It was just dreadful, and I felt completely distressed and also angry. I decided he'd have to come and find us. We stopped looking. Shona also explained how life was after David's disas appearance and gave an insight

into many of the practicalities that come with having a loved one disappear. Shona said that as the house was in both of their names, she was unable to sell it, but struggled to pay for it with just one wage. This meant that she had to borrow money to try and keep the family afloat. This must have been devastating for a family that were already struggling with loss.

It would take seven years for David to be declared legally dead at the High Court, and it was at this point that Shona was able to sell the house and clear the debts that had accrued over the years. It was also around this time in twenty eighteen that Shona received some extremely disturbing communication from somebody who said that they were David. One day, she received a message on her landline. The message said, I have just been away for a

while. I'm coming home on a plane. Should be with you soon. Please have a news paper for me. This was worrying as Shona's landline was ex directory and was not publicly available for anyone to just find. Shona said that she decided to text the number and had quite a long text communication with them. She later recalled, I thought who is that? So I text the number and we had a long text dialogue and this person kept insisting it was David, and I kept disbelieving that it was. Asking for proof.

You'd say things like I've been in India for a long time in Australia and I haven't got a smartphone and I can't send a picture. When I tried to call the number, no one answered. The same person text her elder son saying is that you Arthur. I don't want to cause you anguish, but you'll be seeing me soon DL. It was very upsetting. I contacted the police because this person said some personal things which made me think it could be David, and his writing style was very similar, and how could this

person have our numbers? Shona said that the police attempted to trace the number to find out who had been sending the messages, but could only tell that the phone had been in London, but they could not find out who had been sending the messages. Shona said the police were incredibly helpful, but they were unable to find out who it was. Then one day when I tried to send a message, the line was out of service, so we'll never

know. She also stated that she believed that the timing of these messages could have been the result of her application to declare David dead in twenty eighteen. She said, I don't know if it was David or some crank, but in my heart I do feel that David is still alive. If not from David, then who would be cruel enough to send me messages claiming to be him. I can't think of anyone who would want to hurt us that much.

This is sadly something which has come up in other missing person cases, where people insert themselves and all that happens is that they hurt the family who is grieving the loss of a loved one. David's family have all come together are extremely close today. They have been resolute in the fact that they just want answers as to what happened to David, and they want to know that

he is okay. David's starter, Ruth said, for a long time, I avoided even thinking about it, but I now feel I need to know what happened to my father. When someone dies, you can grieve and move on, but when someone you love goes missing, there is nothing but uncertainty, even though life carries on. If he's alive, I'd like to have him back in our lives in some way, no matter how difficult that might

be for all of us. Their son Arthur said, I can't see how a person can live for so long completely off radar, without leaving any trace, but I would like some kind of resolution. Shona has stated that she does not believe that David would have taken his own life, saying that his sense of self preservation was too strong. She said, I'd like him to know that he's still loved by us. I may no longer love him as a wife, There's been too much pain and heartache for that, but I

will always love him as the father of our children. Shona and her three children mark David's disappearance every year and they hope that they will get answers as to what happened and give them some closure. If you know anything about the disappearance of David Lidgey in twenty eleven, then please contact the police on one oh one or the charity Missing People. I will link the website and David's profile on there, so please go and take a look. Thank you for

listening to day five of twelve Days of Missing Person episodes throughout December. Please listen in in two days for day six. If you'd like to support the podcast further, then you can on Patreon and contribute to the exclusive polls to get extra bonus episodes every month. You can also get access to new episodes early and ad free. You can use the link in the show notes to

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