Man jailed for life for murder at Luton Crown Court after joking about killing missing man 

A man who joked that he had killed a missing man despite having murdered him and hidden his body in a ditch days earlier has been jailed for at least 23 years.

Lukasz Stachura, 41, told friends that he had killed Kamil Leszczynski when they questioned why they hadn't heard from the 33-year-old.

Stachura had already killed Mr Leszczynski on 27 June 2021 and dumped his body close to a farm track.

Luton Crown Court heard that Mr Leszczynski had endured "severe physical suffering" at the hands of Stachura, who bound his victim's hands with phone cables and gagged his mouth with a makeshift gig.

Stachura was today (Monday) handed a life prison sentence and told he would serve at least 23 years in jail before he is considered for release.

Mr Leszczynski's body was discovered four days after he was killed. He had been concealed in a ditch near a lane leading from Carlton Road to The Causeway by a farmer, who contacted police shortly after 430pm on 1 July.

His hands were tied together with phone chargers, and there was further evidence he had been seriously assaulted.

There was bruising all over Mr Leszczynski's body which was consistent with being repeatedly punched and kicked.

Her Honour Judge Lynn Tayton KC told today's sentencing hearing that she believed Stachura had also struck Mr Leszczynski with a weapon. 

Despite overwhelming evidence linking Stachura to the crime, he continued to plead his innocence throughout a three-week trial, baselessly claiming that his car had been stolen.

An investigation by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit traced Stachura's movements on the day the victim was last seen, with CCTV footage showing him driving around in his red Vauxhall Astra.

Notably, the car was seen with a driver and passenger matching the descriptions of both men at around 8pm, with further footage showing both had been in the Thomas Street area shortly beforehand.

Later that evening, between 9pm and 11pm, Stachura's phone connected to a mast within 200 metres of the location Mr Leszczynski's body was found. During that time he had over 50 text message exchanges with his partner, along with a call lasting nearly 10 minutes.

After killing Mr Leszczynski, CCTV images then showed the vehicle in the nearby village Emmaus, heading back towards Wellingborough. 

He then drove around throughout the rest of the night, until the car broke down at around 1030am the following morning.

After being recovered to a nearby petrol station, the car was then left for 20 days until detectives seized it as part of their enquiries. They found traces of Mr Leszczynski's DNA on the passenger door handle and fibres of the car seat on his trousers.

Further enquiries also discovered Stachura's DNA on an item of clothing used as a makeshift gag which was found in Mr Leszczynski's mouth.

This gag was pushed into Mr Leszczynski's mouth with such force that his tongue ended up blocking his airway, which was likely his cause of death.

During the investigation, officers worked with botanists to identify a leaf stuck to the underside of Stachura's car, which matched that of a rare tree near to where Mr Leszczynski's body was found.

A reconstruction of Stachura's vehicle's movements also helped piece together his attempts to flee the scene.

Judge Tayton today commended the three detectives in the investigation, calling it "a painstaking investigation which was carried out to the highest standards".

Detective Inspector Dale Mepstead, who led the investigation, said: "This has been an incredibly challenging investigation and our thoughts remain with Mr Leszczynski's loved ones. I can only hope that they are able to find some solace in today's outcome.

"Stachura has shown no remorse for his actions whatsoever and he concocted a bizarre story in an attempt to evade justice, despite clear and overwhelming evidence to the contrary. He is clearly a very dangerous man and I'm glad he will be removed from society for the foreseeable future.

"Our detectives followed numerous lines of enquiry and used several specialists and experts to help establish the events leading up to Mr Leszczynski's death. I'd like to thank everyone involved for their diligent work in identifying Stachura and putting him before the courts.

"I also hope that today's sentence shows that violence such as this won't be tolerated in Bedfordshire, and we will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice."

Mr Leszczynski, a father and uncle, was described as "a gentle character" in court.

In a tribute to Mr Leszczynski in the aftermath of the attack, his family described him as 'cheerful and affectionate'.

They said: "Kamil was a wonderful person and a wonderful brother.

"He was a cheerful and affectionate man. He loved his sister and was always caring and supportive of her.

"He will be missed by all of his family and friends."