A man has been jailed for life for the murder of his housemate.
Polish national Krzysztof Olszewski, 21, was unanimously found guilty by a jury at Leeds Crown Court of the murder of fellow countryman Marcin Siarczynski between April 30 and July 31 last year at a house they were sharing in Jessamine Street, Ravensthorpe.
The remains of Mr Siarczynski, 36, were only discovered in March this year in undergrowth off the towpath of the Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal in Ravensthorpe where his body had been dumped.
Sentencing Olsewski to a minimum of 18 years in prison Mr Justice Males said he had killed Mr Siarczynski and disposed of his body in the woods no doubt confident it would never be found.
“Your crime only came to light when a passer-by came across the decomposed skeleton almost a year later,” he said.
“Precisely what happened may never be known but this was undoubtedly a sustained and ferocious attack.
“Although it began with you stabbing Marcin Siarczynski in the course of what may have been an argument about money, you did so in circumstances when he posed no threat at all to you and you followed it up with a sustained and savage attack on a badly wounded man.”
He said the forensic evidence indicated Mr Siarczynski had suffered a series of blows as he moved around the room. “There is no other sensible explanation for the distribution of blood which was found, despite the frantic cleaning operation in which you engaged.”
He said the findings suggested after the initial stab wound his victim was kicked at least four times to the body while trying to get away.
The concealing of the body was an aggravating feature along with the fact his car and PlayStation were sold for a modest amount after his death.
The judge said nothing he could say or do would lessen the pain for Mr Siarczynski’s family. He accepted Olszewski was still young and had admitted responsibility for the killing but he had told lies to police and shown no remorse.
The victim’s mother Wanda Andrzejewska said the family was devastated and added: “I can’t stop thinking about it and whether he suffered.”
Det Chief Insp Mark Swift, who led the murder inquiry, said the investigation proved “challenging” but added: “We hope it will provide some degree of comfort and reassurance to the family to know that Olszewski has now had to answer for his actions.”
