A Polish man faces a life sentence for the murder of his housemate whose skeleton was discovered near a canal in Ravensthorpe earlier this year.
Krzysztof Olszewski, 21, was unanimously found guilty by a jury at Leeds Crown Court today of the murder of his fellow national Marcin Siarczynski between April 30 and July 31 last year at a house they were then sharing in Jessamine Street, Ravensthorpe.
The remains of Mr Siarczynski, who was 36, were discovered in March this year in undergrowth off the towpath of the Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal.
Olszewski’s brother Pawel, 25, who also at the time lived at the house in Jessamine Street, was found not guilty by the jury of the murder or manslaughter of Mr Siarczynski.
The seven woman five man jury spent eight hours in deliberation before reaching their unanimous verdicts. The trial judge Mr Justice Males thanked the jury and said he would sentence tomorrow.
Krzysztof Olszewski, more recently of Crawshaw Street, Ravensthorpe told the jury in evidence he had killed Mr Siarczynski by stabbing him during a row over money but claimed it was manslaughter because he had not intended to harm him.
He said he had stabbed him only once and then disposed of the body himself.
The jury heard because of the decomposition when the skeleton was found it was not possible to say how he had died but the prosecution claimed forensic evidence of blood in the living room suggested he was subjected to a sustained assault.
The body was found wrapped in curtains from the house in Jessamine Street inside plastic wrapping which Krzysztof said came off his new mattress. The jury heard his victim’s car had been sold on after the killing.
He told the jury his brother Pawel, more recently of Bromley Street, Dewsbury was visiting his girlfriend the night the killing happened. Pawel did not give evidence during the trial.
The victim’s body was found in a wooded area near Low Mill Lane, close to the Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal, Ravensthorpe, on March 14 this year which sparked a massive police inquiry.
The crime is said to have been committed between January 1, 2015 and July 31, 2015.
The body find led to the arrest of the two brothers in May and they first appeared before Kirklees Magistrates before the case was sent to Leeds Crown Court.
