Popular pub chef, 47, fell from cliff to his death while walking dog in stormy weather

A POPULAR chef plunged to his death as he took his dog for a walk along cliffs during a stormy night, an inquest was told yesterday.

Paul Danusia, who worked at The Kings Arms in Salcombe, was found dead at the base of the cliffs at Bantham, Devon, one morning in January 2023.

Paul Danusia, 47, suffered multiple injuries in the fall from a height SWNSThe dad-of-one worked at The Kings Arms in Salcombe[/caption] AlamyHe was found dead at the base of the cliffs at Bantham, Devon[/caption]

The 47-year-old dad suffered multiple injuries in the fall from a height including a “catastrophic” facial wound as he landed on rocks below.

The inquest in Exeter heard that Paul would regularly take his dog Bailey for a late night walk and sit on a bench away from the cliff edge.

But witnesses told the coroner that the night before had been lashing down with rain and high winds.

One of Paul’s old colleagues saw Bailey on his own in the dark but there was no sign of Paul in her torchlight and she did not think anything of it.

The next day some dog walkers saw Bailey again at the bottom of concrete steps leading to the beach.

They discovered Paul’s body face down on a large sharp rock.

One of them said his shoes were “an odd choice for dog walking”.

Toxicology tests showed Paul was 2.5 times the drink drive limit but he was a regular heavy drinker.

The inquest heard he was a joker with a “great sense of humour and not a bad bone in his body”.

He had been due to get married later in 2023 to his long-term partner Elloise.

Area coroner Alison Longhorn said Paul, of Bantham, who had worked in local pubs in the South Hams area, had fallen from the cliff in particularly bad weather conditions.

She said: “He was in a really good place at the time, it is so sad.”

Relative Tobias Danusia said: “He was so happy, everything was coming together for him, it’s just so heartbreaking.”

The medical cause of his death was multiple skull injuries consistent with a fall from height.

A police investigation confirmed its working hypothesis was his death was an accident and that there were no suspicious circumstances or third party involvement.