Verdict handed down after six-week trial
Jurors at Birmingham Crown Court have unanimously convicted Tobiasz Kozlowski, 38, of Crosland Road, Kirkby, of murder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm in relation to the abduction and subsequent attack on 45-year-old Tomasz Samel.
The conviction follows a six-week trial in which the prosecution set out how Mr Samel was kidnapped from his home in Handsworth in March 2019 and taken to the Liverpool area where he was severely beaten, set alight and later abandoned in a remote location in Lancashire. The victim died in hospital almost three months after the incident.
Who else was on trial
Also convicted of murder and conspiracy was Neil Jones, 48, of no fixed address. Two co-defendants were convicted of lesser charges: Kevin Wooden, 46, of Alma Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire, and Kye Arthur, 35, of Copley Gardens, Bristol, were cleared of murder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm but found guilty of manslaughter.
"After he was kidnapped, he was falsely imprisoned - he was placed in a white Peugeot Boxer van and he was driven to Merseyside. In Merseyside he was tortured and he was caused really serious harm."
The jury deliberated for more than 11 hours before returning their unanimous verdicts.
Wider family involvement and next steps
In a related development, Kozlowski's wife, Sandra Kozlowska, 38, also of Crosland Road, was found guilty of assisting an offender by helping him to avoid detection by police. She has been granted bail but will be sentenced alongside the other defendants on 9 October. The trial judge warned that bail was not an indication she would avoid custody at sentence.
All four men have been remanded in custody pending the sentencing hearing on the same date.
Prosecution case and background to the attack
The prosecution told the court Mr Samel was the subject of an international arrest warrant and that the perpetrators intended to "teach a lesson" over the loss of large quantities of cigarettes. The attack reportedly began after Mr Samel was taken from his home in Raleigh Close, Handsworth, at about 8.35am on 27 March 2019.
Opening the crown's case in June, prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC said that once abducted the victim was placed into a white Peugeot Boxer van, taken to Merseyside and subjected to brutal violence, including being doused in petrol and set alight. Following the assault, his body was left in a remote rural Lancashire location and he later died in hospital almost three months after the ordeal.
- Defendants: Tobiasz Kozlowski (38), Neil Jones (48), Kevin Wooden (46), Kye Arthur (35)
- Verdicts: Kozlowski and Jones convicted of murder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm; Wooden and Arthur convicted of manslaughter
- Related: Sandra Kozlowska (38) convicted of assisting an offender; all to be sentenced on 9 October
| Person | Age | Address | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tobiasz Kozlowski | 38 | Crosland Road, Kirkby | Murder; conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm |
| Neil Jones | 48 | No fixed address | Murder; conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm |
| Kevin Wooden | 46 | Alma Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire | Manslaughter |
| Kye Arthur | 35 | Copley Gardens, Bristol | Manslaughter |
| Sandra Kozlowska | 38 | Crosland Road, Kirkby | Assisting an offender |
The case has been described in court as organised and calculated. For people in Kirkby, the conviction of a local man will bring mixed reactions: relief that the jury has reached a verdict, and concern at the violent events that took place in and around Merseyside.
Local residents and community leaders will be watching the sentencing hearing closely in October, when judges will decide on the appropriate penalties for the men and for Ms Kozlowska. The trial has underlined the cross-border nature of serious organised crime and the impact such offences can have on communities here in the North West.
