A ‘caring but misunderstood’ man died in hospital 11 months after suffering serious brain damage caused by a fall, a court has heard.

Tomas Pontezis, who moved to Great Yarmouth from Lithuania to escape homophobia, was admitted to hospital on January 4, 2023.

An inquest into his death, heard at Norfolk Coroner's Court on Wednesday, revealed that the 25-year-old struggled with alcohol addiction and had several falls while drunk in December 2022 and early January 2023.

A statement from his partner, Stephen Button, was read to the court, describing Mr Pontezis, a factory worker, as the most caring person he had ever met, but often misunderstood by others.

Tomas Pontezis, 25, fled from Lithuania to the UK to escape homophobia. Tomas Pontezis, 25, fled from Lithuania to the UK to escape homophobia. (Image: Supplied)

The inquest heard that in December 2022, Mr Pontezis, who came from a difficult family background, had resolved to address his alcohol dependency so the couple could get married later in the year. 

Mr Button recalled that on January 4, 2023, he left for work, expecting a friend to arrive shortly to sit with Mr Pontezis.

However, he later received a call from the friend, informing him that Mr Pontezis was in town and in a bad condition, refusing medical help.

Mr Button said he did not know what happened to him after that.

Tomas Pontezis and Stephen Button had been planning to get married before Mr Pontezis died following a fall. Tomas Pontezis and Stephen Button had been planning to get married before Mr Pontezis died following a fall. (Image: Supplied)

Later that day, Mr Pontezis collapsed outside a dental surgery on Crown Road, prompting an ambulance call.

When paramedics found him, he was unconscious and had severe facial injuries.

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A memorial plaque for 25-year-old Tomas Pontezis who was described by his partner as the most caring person he had ever met. A memorial plaque for 25-year-old Tomas Pontezis who was described by his partner as the most caring person he had ever met. (Image: Supplied)

Despite police investigations, including witness interviews and CCTV reviews, no evidence of third-party involvement in his injuries was found.

Mr Pontezis had suffered significant brain damage and was subsequently transferred between various hospitals, battling recurring infections until his death on November 16, 2023.

Assistant coroner for Norfolk, Christopher Leach, concluded that Mr Pontezis died of natural causes, with the medical cause of death being aspiration pneumonia caused by hypoxic brain injury.