A talented sushi chef at a top Manchester restaurant died on a bench after downing a bottle of Jack Daniels, an inquest heard.
Sexy Fish chef Marcin Blok had had no history of alcohol abuse but "completely misjudged" the impact the booze would have, a court heard, tragically dying of alcohol poisoning in the early hours of Christmas Eve. He was found by wife Lioboy Karborska collapsed on the bench near their home in Salford, after she had gone out looking for him.
Blok, 42, had only been in the country for three months after arriving from his native Poland before his death, which a coroner ruled was caused by alcohol poisoning. Bolton coroners court heard Blok and his wife had both moved over to work as chefs at Sexy Fish.
He was described by Ms Karborska as hard-working and as having "loved" his job at the top restaurant, which is known as one of Manchester's trendiest eateries. A statement from Ms Karborska read out in court said he was on medication at the time for high blood pressure at the time, but was otherwise "fit and healthy" with no major health issues.
She described Marcin as an "occasional" drinker and had gone out at 1am to buy alcohol, Manchester Evening News reports, who would often work late into the evenings but would regularly go to the gym and play basketball. The couple were saving money to return to Poland.
"Marcin is missed and was loved greatly," said Ms Karborska, who did not attend the hearing as she has now returned to Poland. A post-mortem examination revealed no immediate cause of death, but a toxicology report found lethal levels of alcohol - 345mg - in his system. The legal limit for driving is 80mg.
Detective Sergeant Karl Perry, of Greater Manchester Police, said in court that ambulances were called to the scene at 6.30am on Christmas Eve with Marcin found unresponsive. Tragically, he was pronounced dead four minutes after their arrival.
Police discovered an empty whiskey bottle beneath the bench, which CCTV confirmed he had bought with cola in a nearby Nisa off-licence. His death was not treated as suspicious, with no sign Marcin had intended to harm himself, Det Sgt Perry said.
Senior Coroner for Manchester West, Timothy Brennand, recorded the medical cause of death as "fatal alcohol toxicity". Concluding it was an "alcohol-related death", Mr Brennand said Marcin had decided to sit on the bench prior to his return him to drink the 'vast majority' of the Jack Daniels which "was to prove fatal".
Mr Brennand said: "I do not consider for a moment this was a deliberate act of self-harm. The deceased was a hard-working chef. He was an economic migrant who's long-term future was to make sufficient amount of money in the job and vocation he loved, with the help and support of his wife who also worked in the same industry, with a view to returning back to Poland having pursued their respective careers in the UK."
He added: "It may have been in the run up to Christmas a particularly busy time for people working in the catering and restaurant trade. The deceased has completely misjudged the amount of alcohol that ought properly to have been introduced into his system, succumbing to the effects of the Jack Daniels he was consuming."
He went on to say it was 'important to state' there was no evidence Marcin was an alcoholic, adding that the deceased was 'capable of hard work' and he may also have 'played hard as well'. He said: "This is a very significant tragedy for the Blok family to endure and for their loss I'm very sorry."
After the hearing, a spokesman for Sexy Fish said: "We were absolutely heartbroken to hear the news about Marcin late last year. He was a close friend to many of the team here, and a massively valued colleague. He was talented, quick-witted, funny and loved by so many in our industry. Our thoughts are with his family at this time and he will be remembered at Sexy Fish and across the group."