Embankment killers facing life in jail
9.10am: A judge has warned two Lithuanian youths they face life in jail after being convicted of murdering a father-of-two from Peterborough.
9.10am: A judge has warned two Lithuanian youths they face life in jail after being convicted of murdering a father-of-two from Peterborough.The jury at Cambridge Crown Court yesterday (Thursday) convicted Erikas Cicienas (20) and Ricardas Kozevnikovas (19), of murdering Piotr Bielicki (25) in a savage and unprovoked attack in Peterborough.
However, co-defendant, Augustinas Baltrunas (19), left the court a free man after he was found not guilty of both murder and manslaughter.
Mr Bielicki, who moved to the UK from his native Poland in 2005, suffered more than 60 injuries at the hands of Cicienas and Kozevnikovas close to Stanground Bridge, at the Embankment, on September 13, 2008.
He was also left with an imprint of a shoe on his head after being stamped on by the attackers.
In remanding the pair to be sentenced at a later date, Judge Anthony Bate said: "You have both been convicted by a jury of murder. The sentence is prescribed by law as life.
"I would be assisted by a report from the prison service on your conduct while you have been in prison. Any other reports might also be pertinent to their cause."
Of Baltrunas, he added: "You have been acquitted by the jury and after appropriate formalities you will be released."
It took the 11 jurors two-and-a-half days to deliver their verdicts, which followed a five-week trial detailing Mr Bielicki's murder. One of the jurors had been released prior to deliberations due to ill-health.
The court had heard evidence from Mr Bielicki's friends who described how he was with them at a barbecue party at about 7pm, but had got quite drunk and disappeared two hours later.
Patrycja Marzec, who arrived late to the party, raised the alarm after finding a man – who she did not recognise at the time – unconscious on the ground.
After asking friends at the party to go with her, they found Mr Bielicki and carried him to their car before taking him to Peterborough District Hospital.
However, he died in the early hours of the following day from his extensive injuries.
A pathologist said Mr Bielicki had suffered 25 bruises to his head, six broken ribs and was kicked so hard that blood vessels in his stomach burst.
Prosecutor Nigel Godsmark QC, said: "He was attacked for no reason. He was savagely kicked and beaten.,"
In his defence, Cicienas told the court he was approached by Mr Bielicki for a cigarette while he and his co-defendants were drinking on a bench at the Embankment.
He said he patted Mr Bielicki on the shoulder, gave him a cigarette and while he headed back to the bench, a fourth man – Jonas Jurcas – started punching him.
Cicienas said he broke up the fight and they left Mr Bielicki on the ground, but breathing.
Kozevnikovas, however, admitted manslaughter before the jury on October 14 but still denied murder.
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Thursday 18 March 2010
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