'Deliberate ignition' not ruled out at inquest into woman's death

An inquest for a woman who died following a bungalow fire has been left open - with the coroner not ruling out "deliberate ignition". Izabela Chalastra, 46, died in hospital six days after the blaze in Nottingham on 1 March 2024. The inquest was told there had been a "history of domestic abuse" and Zbigniew Lewandowski - who was under a protection order at the time - visited the address but denied entering the property. He was arrested in connection with the fire, and later detained on suspicion of murder but no charges were brought due to "insufficient evidence". The coroner noted "inconsistencies" in Lewandowski's evidence, who had previously denied having anything to do with the fire. Giving her conclusion at Nottingham Council House on Friday, coroner Neena Sharma reminded the room an "inquest is not a trial" and that she considered evidence in its totality. Jim Dykes, of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, had previously explained that the property in Forster Street suffered "severe fire damage" and it was not possible to identify a single cause. The possible causes included an electric heater, smoking materials, a candle and a portable gas stove found at the property. De

Jun 20, 2026 → Jun 20, 2026