Westcliff murder: Accused 'stamped on friend's head in lost phone row'

Lucasz Kustra is standing trial for the murder of Wojciech Miecznikowski following an incident in Fleetwood Avenue, near Westcliff Library, last year.

It is alleged that the 37-year-old defendant, of no fixed address, attacked Mr Miecznikowski when they were drinking in the street with other men outside the library on September 22.

Basildon Crown Court heard that a woman was walking by the scene at around 12.30pm where she saw the victim lying on the pavement with a pool of blood around his head.

Mr Miecznikowski was flown to the Royal London Hospital but was pronounced dead three days later on September 25. Kustra denies one count of murder and manslaughter.

Prosecuting, Peter Gair told the jury Kustra and the victim had known each other and were both homeless, regularly meeting to drink in the street.

Mr Gair said one of the men in the group had lost his phone, and suspected Mr Miecznikowski had taken it, a claim he denied.

Mr Gair said the man who had lost his phone, along with another present at the scene, witnessed Kustra attacking the victim.

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He said: “At some point during the drinking session he asked Wojciech where his phone was.

He then described the defendant who was standing nearby who started punching and kicking Wojciech.

“[The other man] recalls that during this conversation between them, the man accused Wojciech of having stolen his phone, something Wojciech denied, and then it was this defendant that starting beating Wojciech up.

“During the assault Wojciech was on the ground and the defendant was stomping on Wojciech’s face. He described Wojciech as bleeding and the assault lasted for a while and then it was the defendant that tried to sit Wojciech up, but he was at this point unconscious. He then described them sitting down and carrying on drinking.”

Body cam footage from police, played to the jury, showed them speaking to Kustra at the scene, where he said he had been “in a fight” with someone.

Speaking of the moment a woman raised the alarm, Mr Gair said: “She saw blood on the back of his head and a pool of blood where he was lying. She was so concerned about the man with the head injury she dialled 999.”

The trial continues.