Wellingborough boxer who joked about killing missing man to spend at least 23 years in prison for murder

A Wellingborough boxer will spend at least 23 years in prison for murdering a man and hiding his body in a ditch.

Lukasz Stachura, 41, joked that he had killed Kamil Leszczynski when friends questioned why they hadn’t heard from the 33-year-old.

But he had already killed him on June 27, 2021, and dumped his body close to a farm track between Carlton and Turvey in Bedfordshire.

Luton Crown Court heard that Mr Leszczynski had endured "severe physical suffering" at the hands of Stachura, who bound his victim's hands with phone cables and gagged his mouth with a makeshift gag.

Stachura was today jailed for life and will serve at least 23 years in jail before he is considered for release.

Mr Leszczynski's body was discovered four days after he was killed. He had been concealed in a ditch and his hands were tied together with phone chargers. There was bruising all over Mr Leszczynski's body which was consistent with being repeatedly punched and kicked.

Despite overwhelming evidence linking Stachura to the crime, he continued to plead his innocence throughout a three-week trial, baselessly claiming that his car had been stolen.

An investigation traced Stachura’s movements on the day the victim was last seen, with CCTV footage showing him driving around Wellingborough in his Vauxhall Astra.

The car was seen with a driver and passenger matching the descriptions of both men at about 8pm, with further footage showing both had been in the Thomas Street area shortly beforehand.

Later that evening, between 9pm and 11pm, Stachura’s phone connected to a mast within 200m of the location where Mr Leszczynski’s body was found.

Stachura drove around Wellingborough, Kettering and other areas of Northamptonshire throughout the rest of the night, until the car broke down on the A6 near Desborough at about 10.30am the following morning.

After being recovered to a nearby petrol station, the car was then left for 20 days until detectives seized it. They found traces of Mr Leszczynski’s DNA on the passenger door handle and fibres of the car seat on his trousers.

Further enquiries also discovered Stachura’s DNA on an item of clothing used as a makeshift gag which was found in Mr Leszczynski’s mouth.

This gag was pushed into Mr Leszczynski’s mouth with such force that his tongue ended up blocking his airway, which was likely his cause of death.

During the investigation, officers worked with botanists to identify a leaf stuck to the underside of Stachura’s car, which matched that of a rare tree near to where Mr Leszczynski’s body was found.

Detective Inspector Dale Mepstead, who led the investigation, said: “Stachura has shown no remorse for his actions whatsoever and he concocted a bizarre story in an attempt to evade justice, despite clear and overwhelming evidence to the contrary. He is clearly a very dangerous man and I’m glad he will be removed from society for the foreseeable future.”

In a tribute to Mr Leszczynski in the aftermath of the attack, his family said: “Kamil was a wonderful person and a wonderful brother.

“He was a cheerful and affectionate man. He loved his sister and was always caring and supportive of her.

“He will be missed by all of his family and friends.”