A MAN accused of murder has denied blaming one of his co-accused to protect members of his own family implicated in the brutal killing of a father-of-one.
Rafal Chmielewski denied murdering Tomasz Dembler in a flurry of violence in a North East house following a drunken row.
Instead, Chmielewski told jurors that it was Zbigniew Pawlowski who was responsible for the fatal beating and he was too scared to call the police after he threatened him with a gun.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 39-year-old suffered a significant number of injuries when he was attacked in Middlesbrough before his mutilated body was buried in a shallow grave in woodland near a beauty spot.
Chmielewski denied he concocted the story with the other co-accused because Pawlowski was in a member of his ‘inner circle’ of family and friends.
Under cross examination from Pawlowski’s defence barrister, Toby Hedworth QC, the 37-year-old maintained that he had not murdered Mr Dembler and he was terrified of his co-accused who he believed was going to call the emergency services in March last year.
Mr Hedworth asked Chmielewski: “You thought that a man who had brutally murdered another and was threatening you with a gun was going to call the police and an ambulance to announce what he had done?”
Chmielewski replied: “Yes, that is what I thought. The threat with the gun happened later on.”
The barrister put it to Chmielewski that the co-accused had conspired together to implicate Pawlowski for the murder to protect his family.
Speaking through a translator, Chmielewski categorically denied that was the case and re-iterated he didn't call the police because he was petrified of Pawlowski.
He said: "At the time everyone was so petrifed of him, threatened by what he has said and no one mustered any courage to do so."
Mr Hedworth said: "Instead you chose to weave a web of lies and to blame Pawlowski, the only male present who had not been a member of your family, for what you had done."
Chmielewski replied: "This is not true before Pawlowski turned up on March 20 we were all living in harmony."
Jurors had heard how Mr Dembler was beaten to death in a house on Edward Street, North Ormesby, where his cousin and co-accused Adam Czerwinski was living at the time.
They were told that another co-accused Tomasz Reczycki was in a long-term relationship with another cousin and Chmielewski’s partner, Monika Solerska, was also accused of being involved in the murder and disposal of Mr Dembler’s body.
Mr Hedworth said: “I’m going to suggest that you have deliberately put yourself into Mr Pawlowski’s position to avoid your responsibility for the murder of Tomasz Dembler.”
Chmielewski replied: “This is not true.”
The barrister added: “That is because you know well that Pawlowski was not present at 5 Edward Street when Mr Dembler was murderer and he had no involvement in the burial of the body except to be present on the final journey.”
Chmielewski replied: “That is not true, he was at number and it was him who beat up Mr Dembler.”
Earlier, the jury heard how Mr Dembler’s body was found in woodland near Flatts Lane Country Park, Middlesbrough, in April last year when two teenage girls spotted toes sticking out of the ground.
Pawlowski, of Leven Street, Newport, Middlesbrough; Rafal Chmielewski, 37, of Birchington Avenue, Grangetown; Tomasz Reczycki, 37, of Ashfield Avenue, Grove Hill, Middlesbrough; Monika Solerska, 37, of Birchington Avenue, Grangetown; and Adam Czerwinski, 45, of Edward Street, North Ormesby, all deny murder.
The trial continues.
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