Published: 06:30, 8 June 2022
A woman whose husband left their home in Norfolk and disappeared more than a decade ago speaks of hope that he is still alive.
Dr. Sean Lidji made an emotional call for information just before the 11th anniversary of her husband’s disappearance.
David Lidgey, also a general practitioner, left the family home in Hilgay, near Downham Market, on June 29, 2011, after writing a note to his wife that he had “gone for a walk.”
On the day of their wedding in 1995, Shona Lidgey and her husband David Lidgey, who disappeared in June 2011. – Credit: IAN BURT
The father of three had taken his children to school and left his precious silver Volvo, wallet and mobile phone. He has not been seen since.
Sean Lidge in the photo in 2013, urging her husband David to return home on the second anniversary of his disappearance – Credit: IAN BURT
He was pronounced dead in the Supreme Court in 2018, but his widow revealed that in the same year she began receiving telephone and text messages from someone who claimed to be him.
In an extensive interview with the Daily Mail, she revealed that one of the messages was “you will see me again soon” and said that she felt in her heart that “David is still alive”.
David Lidgee disappeared from his home in Hilgai in 2011. – Credit: IAN BURT
She told the newspaper: “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 so much.
“It was very disappointing. I contacted the police because this man said some personal things that made me think he might be David, and his writing style was very similar, and how could this man have our numbers? ”
Police were unable to identify themselves, except that the messages came from the London area and that the mobile phone was no longer working.
Norfolk police have confirmed that they were involved in the investigation, as they were in the initial search for David, who would now be 62 years old.
His case, which remains a mystery, is one highlighted by the National Charitable Organization “Missing People”.
Sean Lidge holds a photo of her husband David Lidge, who went missing in 2011. – Credit: IAN BURT
After his disappearance, there were possible observations, including several in Leicester, where he studied medicine, but none was final.
Dr. Lidji is convinced that her husband did not take his own life, saying that “his sense of self-preservation was too strong.”
She spoke of her desperation to hear from him. “I was so desperate that I wanted to go up to Big Ben and shout, ‘Where’s David?’ How do I find him? ”She said.
“It was awful. We missed it so much. None of us will ever fully recover from it. It cripples us in some way.”
Earlier, Ms. Lidgee described how her husband, whom she met at medical school, had suffered from depression for many years, but felt unable to seek help despite her repeated requests.
They had moved to Norfolk from London, where he was involved in two traumatic accidents – one facing a man with a knife during his operation and the other being hit with a hammer in a road rage accident – but he never has settled in the county.
The couple’s children, Ruth and Arthur, also told the Daily Mail that they do not feel “no anger” towards their father and want to know what happened.
David Lidgey with his children – Credit: Albanpix.com
Ruth, now 26, said: “When someone dies, you can grieve and move on, but when someone you love disappears, there is nothing but insecurity, even though life goes on.
“If he is alive, I would like to bring him back into our lives in some way, no matter how difficult it may be for all of us.
Her brother Arthur said, “I can’t see how a person can live that long, completely off the radar, without leaving a trace. But I would like a solution.”
And Dr. Lidgee said that although she no longer hopes for her husband’s return, she would like him to know that he is still loved by us.
“It will be enough for me just to know that David is alive and happy,” she told the newspaper.
GP David Lidgee disappeared from his home in Hilgai in June 2011 and has not been seen since – Credit: Albanpix.com
She had to wait seven years to apply to the Supreme Court for David to be legally declared missing, presumably dead, to allow her to sell the house and clear their debts.
To report seeing Mr. Lidgey, visit missingpeople.org.uk/help-us-find/david-lidgey-11-002631
MISSING MYSTERY
Nine months before he disappeared, David turned to a former colleague for a reference so he could apply for a job in Australia.
He said he planned to go alone, adding: “This is my mind or my family.”
And six weeks before he disappeared, he had fled after a scandal. He was later followed by police to a hotel.
On the day of his disappearance, the couple again quarreled over Dr. Lidgie’s plans to take the children away while her husband worked.
He then took the children to school. Arthur told the Daily Mail: “My father kept apologizing to us, saying how sorry he was that he had upset us when he left a few weeks earlier.
“He told us how much he loved us. That was the last thing we ever heard him say.”
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