Murder accused stabbed and battered pair, court told

A Polish man battered and stabbed to death the elderly next door neighbours of his sister eight days after moving to stay at her Midland home, a jury has heard.

Frail 80-year-old Giuseppe Massaro and his wife Caterina, aged 77, suffered "numerous" injuries when they were battered over the head with a claw hammer and knifed in the neck and body inside their own Wolverhampton home by Ireneusz Bartnowski, a court was told.

Prosecutor Mr Peter Grieves-Smith told Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday: "A brutal attack was launched on both despite their age and frailty. Neither was in a position to defend themself.

"We cannot say who was attacked first but one must have seen the other being attacked and, as they did so, must surely have known the same thing would happen to them."

There was a "wealth" of scientific evidence that the murderer was 22-year-old keep fit fan Bartnowski, who had moved in next door with his sister Agniewska Ciok and her family shortly before the murder on April 21 last year, it was claimed.

Less than two hours after allegedly leaving the scene Bartnowski was buying beer at a nearby supermarket, the court heard.

He was captured by security cameras from a nearby garage returning to the house twice the next day while the couple still lay dead upstairs, on one occasion spending almost an hour inside the property, the jury was told.

His blood was found on the handles of the hammer and knife used to kill the couple and his fingerprints were discovered throughout the terraced house in Woden Road, Park Village, where they had lived for over 40 years after coming to this country in 1960, the court heard.

There were even traces of Bartnowski's DNA in the right hand trouser pocket of Mr Massaro, revealed Mr Grieves-Smith who added: "Science cannot tell whether that happened when he was dead or dying."

Mr Massaro died from multiple wounds mainly to his head, neck and abdomen.

He had at least 27 injuries including a double fracture of the scull following three hammer blows, a fracture to the right jaw close to an eye that caused a brain haemorrhage and a 14cm deep stab wound, disclosed the prosecutor who revealed both victims had also been kicked and punched.

Mrs Massaro had a depressed scull fracture along with knife wounds to the neck and lost so much blood it led to her death, the jury was told.

Bartnowski wore a pair of gloves belonging to Mr Massaro during the crime and a rip to them matched a wound later found on his finger, the court was told.

Mr Grieves-Smith said: "He murdered them both and did it on his own. He also stole their property. All the evidence will say that this took place about 10pm on April 21."

Two televisions, cash and the couple's Peugeot car were taken, the court heard.

Just over an hour afterwards Bartnowski was seen at a nearby Asda buying beer with Wojciiech Ostolski, aged 32.

The stolen Peugeot was parked in a side street instead of the supermarket car park, said Mr Grieves-Smith.

Ostolski later helped sell the two TVs for a total of £170 and the pair also made an unsuccessful bid to sell the £4,000 Peugeot for just £300, it was alleged.

Ostolski admits helping with the transactions but denies knowing that the property was stolen while Bartnowski has blamed Ostolski for the murder, the court has heard.

The fully-clothed bodies of the two victims were discovered in a bedroom by their 23-year-old granddaughter Lindsey Booth at 8pm on April 22 when the family became concerned after being unable to raise the couple by phone.

Bartnowski, of no fixed address, denies murder, while Ostolski from Chervil Rise, Heath Town, pleads not guilty to handling stolen property.

The trial of the two will continue at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday.