Chilling moment killer husband drags estranged wife to her death before keeping her body in his bedroom for four days
THIS is the chilling moment a killer husband dragged his estranged wife to her death before keeping her body in his bedroom for four days.
Pawel Chmielecki, 39, knifed Marta Chmielecka, 31, more than 30 times after she refused to rekindle their relationship.
The monster then tried to kill himself when police raided his home in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
Chmielecki has now been jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years after pleading guilty to murder.
Northampton Crown Court heard Marta left Chmielecki when he became increasingly “controlling and abusive”.
The horror unfolded in October last year just when she was “starting to enjoy life again”.
Harrowing footage shows Chmielecki “intercepting” his estranged wife as she walked near her home.
A struggle ensued before the killer was heard telling her: Come on, not far now”.
He was then captured putting Marta in a “bear hug” and dragging her back to his flat to her death.
Once there, Chmielecki stabbed Marta to death and took a depraved photo of her on the ground.
Two days later as his wife lay dead in his flat still, he visited a shop to buy six cans of beer before sending messages to her family.
After becoming suspicious the texts weren’t from Marta, her family contacted police who went to investigate due to previous contact with the pair.
They arrived to find Chmielecki with a knife sticking out of his neck and Marta dead in the bedroom.
She had suffered a total of 32 sharp force injuries, including defensive wounds to her right hand and others to her shoulders, upper arms and chest.
Tragically, Marta had been planning to divorce Chmielecki and had repeatedly messaged him asking him to leave her alone.
Sentencing, Judge David Herbert KC said the “sustained and ferocious attack” was “born entirely out of anger and jealousy”.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Marta’s family paid tribute to the “exceptional” woman who was ” life, kind, cheerful, helpful and smart”.
They added: “It is never going to be the same without her. Losing Marta has changed our whole lives.
“He has taken Marta away from so many people who loved her. She loved our children and he took her away from them, from them having a relationship with her.
“He deprived them of their aunty. He deprived us of our sister. He deprived our parents of their child.
“Things are just completely different now. It’s hard to describe.
“When Marta died, something beyond her died as well and none of us will ever be the same.”