Two arrested in poisoning inquiry after grandad dies in quiet village

07 March 2024 , 10:24

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Karl Edgeller who was named locally as a man who reportedly died (Image: East Anglia News Service)

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of poisoning after a grandad died and another became seriously ill in a usually sleepy Norfolk village.

Police were called by the ambulance service to reports that two men in their 50s were unwell at a property in Weeting, at about 22:30 GMT on Sunday. Karl Edgeller and Paul Johnson, both named by neighbours, reportedly fell ill while drinking 97 per cent proof ethanol, the MailOnline revealed. Edgeller was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics at the address in Hereward Way.

Former Paratrooper Johnson - known locally as 'Jono Fubar' - was treated at the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds and has been discharged. Edgeller was a former plant operator, welder and fitter who had been unable to work recently due to back problems. The property where the pair were found is owned by Johnson.

Norfolk Police confirmed that "further enquiries" led to the arrest of the two men on suspicion of poisoning on Tuesday. One man in his 40s was arrested in Thetford and taken for questioning at the Police Investigation Centre in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. A second man aged in his 50s was arrested in Weeting and quizzed at a Police Investigation Centre in Wymondham, Norfolk. Both men have since been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Jono Fubar who was taken to hospital after drinking nearly neat ethanol. (East Anglia News Service)

A villager, who asked not to be named, told the MailOnline: "They got this drink from a friend who said it was 97 per cent ethanol. The friend said that you had to water it down to drink it and apparently they didn't. They just drank it." Derek Holland, 70, who lives on the road, said his wife was woken up by the flashing lights of emergency services vehicles in the early hours of Monday morning.

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He added: "We know Karl passed away, bless him. I don't know how he died. He was a nice guy. People around here are sad. We don't expect this sort of think in a little village. I know he had problems with his back and wasn't currently working." Another neighbour said: "Karl was a mate of Jono's and they used to hang around a lot together. It is a terrible tragedy. Jono is a bit of a character. He had been a bit down following the death of his dogs."

It is not known if the ethanol was distilled or brewed as a high-strength homemade “moonshine”, or bought as a ready-made substance. High-strength ethanol is readily available for purchase on Amazon and eBay for industrial or chemical use, priced at around £10 a litre.

Rachel Hagan