The wife of a Friern Barnet man who went missing from a psychiatric unit has made an emotional plea for his safe return.

Monica Madrzyk broke down in tears this week as she described her family's devastation at the disappearance of her 56-year-old husband Jurek.

He had been taken to the Dennis Scott unit at Edgware Hospital on May 31 suffering from depression, just four days after he had been treated at the hospital for an abnormal heart rhythm. Candlemaker Jerzy, affectionately known as Jurek, walked out of the unit on June 2 and has not been seen by his wife or two sons since.

"We want him to know that we understand if he couldn't take any more and we want him to have a rest," said Mrs Madrzyk, 51, of Goldsmith Road. "Whenever he is ready we are waiting for him all the time. We love him so much very, very much."

Mrs Madrzyk said Jurek had been involved in a court wrangle after another candlemaker in their native Poland allegedly stole one of his designs.

"He said to us, 'I have lost everything. I have nothing. I don't have the energy to cope with life'," added Mrs Madrzyk, who has been married to Jurek for 24 years.

"Life was very difficult for him. A lot of things went wrong but he was looking for help he was desperate for help and he didn't get it. I am just really hurting as are all my family."

A spokeswoman for Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust said Mr Madrzyk was an informal patient and was entitled to come and go from the hospital at will.

She added: "We do share Mrs Madrzyk's concerns and will fully support any endeavours by Mrs Madrzyk and the police to find Mr Madrzyk."

June 14, 2002 11:00