Murderer jailed for life after kicking ‘kind’ man to death
AMURDERER has been jailed for life for kicking a “kind and honest” man to death as he lay defenceless in a street at night.
Richard Wallis, 43, who is a father and grandfather, denied murdering Jan Jedrzejewski but was found guilty by a unanimous jury following a two-month trial at Newport Crown Court.
In his sentencing remarks, The Honourable Sir John Griffith Williams KT told Wallis: “My conclusion, having observed you throughout the trial, is that you are in no way remorseful.
“Your only concern was to lie as you tried to avoid conviction.”
Mr Jedrzejewski was 41 when he died following the incident in Keene Street, Newport, on January 12.
Police were called to the scene near Cromwell Stores around 11pm and found the victim lying “motionless” and “bleeding profusely”. He died at the Royal Gwent Hospital the next day.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mr Jedrzejewski’s sister, Emilia Klawczynska, described him as “really fun-loving... extremely honest and kind”.
The court previously heard he had moved to Newport from Poland in August 2015 and worked full-time for Island Steel.
Sir Griffith Williams said: “Jan Jedrzejewski was a popular man, hard-working, well thought of and liked by his colleagues.”
He noted he was killed by a kick or two kicks to his mouth as he lay “defenceless” on the ground.
Paul Lewis QC, defending, argued there was not a significant degree of pre-meditation and said his client had no involvement in taking the victim to the ground.
He suggested there was some provocation from Mr Jedrzejewski himself and others – a line of argument the judge rejected.
The barrister said his client’s involvement was limited to “a single kick”, although he accepted, based on evidence from a pathologist, that kick was “forceful”.
Agreed medical evidence stated the blow had a far greater effect than it otherwise would have done due to the victim’s level of intoxication.
Mr Lewis accepted his client picked up a crowbar, but said there was no evidence he had taken it to the scene.
Wallis, from Keene Street, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years. No separate penalty was made for perverting the course of justice.
Callum Banton and Shaquille Crosdale, both 18, from Fleetwood Close in Newport, stood trial with Wallis and are due to face a re-trial with a juvenile who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Wallis’ mother, Catherine Coslett, 64, of Valley View Road, Cwmtillery, was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice and is due to be sentenced at a later date.