'Cowardly' killer who murdered a man while 'consumed with jealousy' given a life sentence

A man who killed a 46-year-old father, brother and grandfather in a violent attack while ‘consumed by self-pity, anger and jealousy’ has been given a life sentence in prison.

Jakub Nowicki, 40, of Ascot Road in Holyport, punched and kicked Tomasz Kopec to death during a ‘sustained and violent’ attack at his home in Grant Avenue, Slough, on April 25.

He was found guilty of murder last week, as well as assault against his ex, Karolina Nowicka, who tried to stop him.

The minimum term for a murder like this one is 15 years. From here, aggravating factors – facts of the case which make the crime worse – can increase this.

Aggravating factors include the fact that Ms Nowicka warned Nowicki to stop his attack in case he ended up killing his victim but he continued despite her warnings.

Indeed, Nowicki said this is what he had come to do – and told her she would be next; remarks the judge described as ‘chilling.’

Other aggravating factors include:

• Nowicki’s previous convictions (causing serious injury by dangerous driving and assaulting an emergency worker)
• The sustained nature of the violence against Mr Kopec
• That he had repeated chances to walk away and didn’t take them
• Additional and unnecessary degradation of Mr Kopec by removing his trousers and striking him in the genitals
• The attack took place in the victims’ home ‘where they were entitled to feel safe’
• The ‘devastating’ psychological harm caused to Ms Nowicka by the assault on her and from witnessing the serious violence against Mr Kopec
• That Nowicki tried to prevent Ms Nowicka from leaving the house repeatedly, seemingly so she could not call for help
• That Nowicki destroyed her phone, again seemingly to prevent her calling for help.

Prosecutor Lesley Bates KC added that one of the aggravating factors should be the former relationship between Nowicki and Ms Nowicka – and his violation of her right to form a relationship with Mr Kopec ‘without any interference.’

Countering the argument that Nowicki had not gone to the house with the intention of killing anyone, Ms Bates said the prosecution ‘does not accept this.’

The prosecution accepted that when Nowicki set out from his home in the early morning hours of that day, he did not intend any assault.

But that changed when he redirected the taxi taking him home towards the Grant Avenue address instead – and ‘immediately’ used violence when he arrived there.

These two facts together make it seem as though this was not a spontaneous act of violence, the prosecution said, nor an ‘excessive use of self-defence’, which was the picture Nowicki painted in his defence.

In a witness impact statement, Mr Kopec’s daughter, Nikola Wisniewska, said:

“To lose a parent is hard enough, but to lose them to murder is something we will never truly come to terms with.

“Seeing him in the hospital – weak, lifeless, unrecognisable – is an image that will haunt us forever.”

She described how the loss had deeply impacted Mr Kopec’s four children, his young grandchildren, and his loving brother and sister.

The court also heard about the impact on Ms Nowicka. Speaking two days after the attack, she had said:

“When I close my eyes, I can see [Nowicki] kicking Tomasz. I can’t sleep. It’s going round [my head] in circles.

“I try to eat but can’t. I feel just indifferent to the world – I don’t feel like doing anything. I couldn’t force myself to get out of bed.”

Representing the defendant, Martin McCarthy KC told the court: “Perhaps the only case we can make on his behalf is for his children.”

Mr McCarthy also argued that if Nowicki had intended to kill Mr Kopec, there were weapons in the kitchen he could have used – but did not.

In his sentencing remarks, Justice Stephen Eyre called the offence a ‘cowardly attack’.

He said this ‘cowardice’ had been shown by Nowicki throughout the trial, too – making ‘entirely false’ claims of Tomasz being abusive towards Ms Nowicka.

The judge said he could see that Nowicki regretted the loss of his family life resulting from his behaviour after he got out of prison for his prior offences.

“You blame others for that loss, in particular your wife and the further partners she has had. You are unable to accept that it was your actions which caused the end of your family life,” he said.

“You saw the house in Grant Avenue as your property and Karolina Nowicka as your wife.

“You resented the man who was living with your wife and whom you felt was in the place which was yours by right.”

Justice Eyre described how Nowicki had been ‘drinking heavily and in search of sexual encounters’ on the morning of April 25.

“When you realised your search for sex had come to nothing you went to your wife’s home. You were full of self-pity, anger and jealousy towards your wife and towards Tomasz Kopec.

“[They both] tried to placate you to avoid any violence but you could not be placated.

“You knocked Tomasz Kopec to the ground and he lay there helpless and semi-conscious.

“You could have stopped then and walked away. Instead, you chose to rain blows on Mr Kopec’s defenceless head in a sustained and violent attack.

“You have no remorse and seemingly little understanding of the enormity of your actions. It was clear from your evidence… that you remain consumed by self-pity, anger and jealousy.

“You left [Mr Kopec] so badly beaten as to be barely recognisable. I am satisfied that you intended to keep beating him until either you felt you had your revenge or he was dead.”

“You robbed a family of a man they loved.”

Under those circumstances, Nowicki not having intended to kill Mr Kopec ‘cannot provide any mitigation,’ said Justice Eyre.

Nowicki will serve a minimum term of 19 years in prison, meaning he will not be eligible for parole until he has served this time.

He was also sentenced to 18 months in prison for the assault and a month for criminal damage, which will be served alongside his 19-year sentence.