Senior officer reacts to Telford manslaughter case sentencing
Speaking at Stafford Crown Court this afternoon, Detective Inspector John Elcock gave his thoughts having seen Mariusz Garbackzewski plead guilty to the manslaughter of Pavol Lazar in October last year.
The body of Mr Lazar - who was 30 at the time of his death - was found after police in Telford received a call at just after 6pm on Friday 8 October 2010, requesting them to attend an address on Farm Lodge Grove in Malinslee.
Having pleaded guilty to manslaughter, 24-year-old Garbackzewski was sentenced to five and a half years in prison. Meanwhile, the judge at the court ordered that a not guilty verdict was recorded in relation to a second man - 37-year-old Andrzej Robaszkiewicz.
Speaking about the sentence, DI Elcock said: "The sentence handed out at court today fits within the guidelines for incidents of this nature and I hope that it acts as some consolation to Mr Lazar's family as they move forward.
"I'd like to place on record my thanks to the officers in the investigation team who have worked tirelessly on this case over the past few months. The nationality of the individuals involved in the incident - and the fact they spoke very little English - made the investigation unusual and extremely testing and therefore this result reflects particularly well on the officers involved.
"In addition, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the public that took the time to come forward and offer information to my investigating team. Officers visited many local people throughout the full duration of the enquiry and a consistent theme was the overwhelming sense of support and assistance offered by every member of the public.
"Whilst incidents of this nature remain extremely rare in Telford, I hope this result demonstrates that when they do occur, West Mercia Police are determined to catch those responsible to ensure that justice is done."
