WARN!NG! DISTRESSING CONTENT: BBC Star D!es Tragically After Sending an Emotional Two-Word Message
James Bond actor’s tragic de@th after sending heartbreaking two word message
WARN!NG – DISTRESSING CONTENT The beloved EastEnders and James Bond actor was last seen leaving the Royal Court Theatre in London.
He was 53 at the time of his tragic de@th (Image: PA)
A much-loved EastEnders star was tragically found dead after he went missing from London and sent his partner one final text containing two devastating words – ‘I’m sorry’.
Paul Bhattacharjee’s body was recovered near Splash Point cliffs in Seaford, East Sussex, two days after the actor was first reported missing. He was 53 at the time of his de@th.
Gautam Paul Bhattacharjee was an actor from South London, best known for playing Inzamam Ahmed in EastEnders between 2008 and 2010, as well as appearing in the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale.
Paul was reported missing on July 10, 2013, after he was last spotted leaving rehearsals at the Royal Court Theatre in London’s Sloane Square. Two days later, on July 12, his body was discovered near the cliffs in Seaford, and it wasn’t until July 17 that authorities were able to formally confirm his identity.
An inquest heard the actor jumped from a cliff and d!ed by suicide on July 10, after he received word he had been officially declared bankrupt the previous day on July 9 – something his partner, Emma McKie, only discovered after opening letters found in his flat following his de@th, reports the Daily Star.
He was last seen leaving play rehearsals from the Royal Court Theatre in London (Image: Getty Images)
Prior to taking his life, Paul sent Emma a final text message containing two chilling words – ‘I’m sorry’.
Describing her partner as a ‘proud’ man, Emma’s statement read in court stated: “I do believe that Paul would take his own life. I knew about his past and the pain inside him, and I could see it in his eyes. He had a darkness inside him that was irreparable.”
The tragic events of the fateful day
Paul lived in London’s Elephant and Castle and was last seen on July 10 leaving the rehearsals for Alistair McDowall’s dark comedy for the Royal Court entitled Talk Show.
Emma last saw her partner that same day, when he had mentioned feeling unwell with a stomach complaint. Later that evening, around 7pm, she rang Paul to inform him she was heading home.
The actor famously appeared in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale (Image: MGM/Columbia Pictures)
Paul messaged Emma afterwards, telling her he would be extremely late and to have with dinner without him.
At 9.16pm on July 10, Emma received one final text message from Paul which included the words ‘I’m sorry’.
On the evening of July 12, a member of the public reported spotting what they believed was a body at the cliffs beneath Seaford’s Splash Point, which was subsequently recovered.
Initial investigations reached a dead end and the search to identify the man turned out to be unsuccessful. On July 17, a colleague of coroner’s officer Karen Brown discovered an online article about Paul’s disappearance.
The inquest into Paul’s de@th heard that Sussex Police then coordinated with the Metropolitan Police and the authorities were ultimately able to confirm later that day the body discovered was Paul’s.
Paul Bhattacharjee was a regular EastEnders cast member from 2008 to 2010 (Image: BBC)
Cause of de@th
East Sussex coroner Alan Craze recorded a verdict of suicide and subsequently received an anonymous letter which stated Paul’s de@th was deliberate and ‘linking it wholly and entirely to his bankruptcy’. Emma’s statement, which was read to Eastbourne Magistrates’ Court, said Paul was a “protective man and he couldn’t have handled the bankruptcy becoming public knowledge”.
Emma added: “He would not have wanted to let me down or hurt me or his friends. The bankruptcy was the final straw after a life of major highs and lows.”
A post-mortem examination, conducted by pathologist Dr David Wright, revealed that the EastEnders actor had d!ed as a result of multiple injuries.
Toxicologist Andrew Smith of Brighton’s Royal Sussex County Hospital found no trace of drugs in his report, with only a low blood alcohol reading of 42mg per 100ml recorded.
Beyond his roles in EastEnders and Casino Royale, Paul had also featured in Dirty Pretty Things, Waking the Dead, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Spooks, The Bill, and White Teeth.
Sussex Police’s Detective Sergeant David Tye informed the inquest at the time that there was no suggestion anyone else had been involved in the actor’s de@th.
Coroner Alan Craze told the court: “There isn’t scope at all in this case and therefore the conclusion of this inquest will be that Gautam Paul Bhattacharjee took his own life whilst the balance of his mind was disturbed.”
He added: “He was extremely depressed at the time. This was a huge tragedy for a lot of people.”
