Mystery still surrounds the death of a 48-year-old man whose body was washed up on Caldey Island last year.

The inquest of artist and poet Kevin John Dunster was heard by Pembrokeshire coroner Mark Layton last Thursday.

The coroner’s court heard that Mr Dunster, of West Cross, Swansea, suffered with severe epilepsy, which in recent years had led to ‘acute psychotic episodes’.

On occasion Mr Dunster had been found walking into the water along Swansea Bay.

On November 5th, 2011, the discovery of a jacket and some personal possessions belonging to Mr Dunster sparked a three hour search operation, involving coastguards and a police helicopter along the city’s foreshore.

Police appeals at the time said Mr Dunster had last been seen in Swansea’s Quadrant Centre on November 4th.

His body was later discovered on November 14th by Caldey Island resident Brother Gilbert, some 30 miles away on Bullum’s Bay.

In a statement, Mr Dunster’s brother Gavin said the family found it “hard to believe” that they had not been informed of his “worsening condition”.

The post-mortem report stated it was likely that death was caused by drowning but concluded that cause of death could not be ascertained.

Mr Layton recorded an open verdict, adding: “The circumstances giving rise to Mr Dunster’s death are not at all clear from the limited evidence available.”