Four men have been found guilty of killing a Birmingham dad who was kidnapped, tortured and set on fire in a brutal attack linked to a £1m illegal cigarettes raid. Tomasz Samel, 45, was abducted from his home in Raleigh Close, Handsworth, in March 2019 by men posing as INTERPOL officers, a court heard.
Kidnap and Attack
Mr Samel was snatched from his home and bundled into a white Peugeot van, then driven to Liverpool where he was doused in petrol and set on fire. He suffered devastating 75 per cent burns to his body and was dumped in a remote location. He managed to seek help but died in hospital three months later.
The attack was carried out by an organised crime group as punishment after HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) seized £1m worth of illegal cigarettes which were stored at his unit in Aston.
Trial and Verdicts
Following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court, a jury deliberated for just over 11 hours before delivering verdicts on Wednesday, August 12. Tobiasz Kozlowski, 38, from Kirkby in Merseyside, and Neil Jones, 48, of no fixed address, were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.
Kevin Wooden, 46, from Banbury, and Kye Arthur, 35, from Bristol, were cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter. All four men had admitted conspiracy to kidnap and falsely imprison. Kozlowski's wife Sandra Kozlowska, 38, also from Kirkby, was found guilty of assisting an offender.
Sentencing and Reaction
Sentencing was adjourned until October 9. The four men were remanded into custody while Kozlowska was allowed to remain on bail. Kate Seal, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This was a brutal attack on a man who was kidnapped from his own home and subjected to horrendous violence."
Seal added: "The CPS worked closely with West Midlands Police throughout this lengthy and complex investigation to pursue lines of enquiry and build a case using forensic, digital and witness evidence. Our thoughts remain with Mr Samel’s family, who have endured unimaginable suffering, including witnessing his abduction from their family home. I hope these verdicts provide some measure of closure and reassurance that justice has been achieved."
