Lodger guilty of murdering OAP after she gave him a home

A killer lodger who brutally battered a frail Edinburgh pensioner to death is facing life behind bars.

Jadwiga Szczygielska, 77, suffered horrific injuries in the frenzied attack by fellow Pole Roman Frackiewicz who she had taken in following a request from a priest.

The 44-year-old killer, an Edinburgh City Council refuse collector who paid just £200 a month for a room in Mrs Szczygielska’s house, downed vodka before launching his attack during which she suffered 14 fractured ribs, a broken breastbone and collapsed lungs.

Mrs Szczygielska let him stay after he was convicted of a domestic assault in 2018 and a court imposed a non-harassment order preventing him contacting the victim of the attack. The High Court in Edinburgh heard that the priest at her church asked her to take him in. Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC told the court: "She gave him her bedroom and extended great kindness towards him."

Mrs Szczygielska came to Scotlandfrompolandin2013to livewithherson.hehadaworkplace accident and returned to Poland but she stayed on because she had made many friends.

She worked as a childminder and sent money back to her family in Poland. Mr Prentice said her son, Krzysztof, "indicatedhecouldnotfindwordsto express how this terrible crime affects his life and his family, observing that this traumatic event will be with him for the rest of his life".

On April 17 last year Frackiewicz repaid his landlady's generosity by launching the merciless attack in her home at Pirniefield Bank, Seafield.

The court heard that the injuries suffered by the victim were of a type found in serious road traffic collisions.

Frackiewicz,whoisalsoapolish national, came to the UK in 2012 and, slept in the bedroom attheflatandshebeddeddown on a sofa.

He had denied murdering Mrs Szczygielska. The morningafterthecrimehecontacted anemployeewithacommunity alarmserviceandsaidheneeded an ambulance as he thought she was dead. He phoned an acquaintance and said: "Jadwigahaspassedaway".helater claimeditwas"probablyaheart attack".

Frackiewicz, who has two previous convictions for assault, was remanded in custody until his next appearance.