'Chloe' Killing Accused Hid In Girl's Bedroom

A man accused of kidnapping and murdering a nine-year-old girl in Calais was previously found hiding in another child's bedroom with a knife, it has emerged.

Zbigniew Huminski was discovered crouched under a desk in a sleeping child's bedroom in 2009, six years before this week's horrific kidnap and killing.

He lunged out in the darkness with the weapon when the child's mother went to check on her - then leapt out of the window to escape.

The Polish immigrant later told a psychologist in jail that he was "not like other people" and was assessed as a dangerous psychopath.

Huminski was arrested in France after the nine-year-old girl, known only as Chloe, was snatched from a playground in Calais.

He has since been charged with kidnapping, rape and murder and has not asked for a lawyer, according to investigators.

A court in Warsaw has revealed Huminski was on the run at the time of the killing - having been jailed on March 27 for a year over an attempted car break-in dating back to 2000.

Ewa Leszczynska-Furtak, spokeswoman for the Warsaw court, said Polish law allows convicts to remain at large until their lawyers receive an explanation of the verdict - a process that can take up to three weeks.

"We regret the huge tragedy that occurred in France," she said.

But she added the court had no reason to believe the man would flee the country because he had shown up to his hearings and "a neighbourhood investigation showed that he had a stable lifestyle, normal family relations and had taken a job".

Huminski told investigators he took Chloe after she sprayed his car with a water pistol while playing in the town, where he had stopped on his way to England.

Chloe was bundled into the car in front of her mother and her naked body later found in woods.

"It happened too fast … I was paralysed," her mother Isabelle said.

Initial forensic tests revealed she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Interviews published in French media painted a disturbing picture of Huminski - a man seemingly devoid of empathy and dangerously impulsive.

Speaking to Le Parisien, David Selingue described the moment the Polish man was found in his child's bedroom on 27 June, 2009.

"We had left the windows open in the house because it had been hot," Mr Selingue said.

"At about 11 my wife went into my daughter's bedroom to see if she was sleeping.

"At that point, she saw a shadow under the desk in the corner of the room. She backed away and this man lunged at her with a large knife - he held it up to her face."

Mr Selingue continued: "My wife told my daughter to escape and my daughter ran down to get me.

"By the time I had gone up, the attacker had fled out of the window."

Mr Selingue added: "My little girl was the same age as Chloe. He could have killed her. How was this man still in the area where he committed these crimes?"

In another interview with Le Parisien, psychologist Christian Soenen recalled speaking to Huminski in jail after he had been arrested for two break-ins in 2009.

One of those break-ins was that at the home of the Selingue family and the other, on the same night, at the home of a frail pensioner.

Describing those 2009 attacks, Huminski told the psychologist: "I had drunk too much, I wasn't thinking - I needed money, I did some dumb things.

"I went into the house and I saw a woman, I didn't know what to do. I had a knife, so I threatened her. I don't usually attack people.

"In the second house, there was a child, I didn't want to do it, and so I escaped."

Huminski, who was jailed for 30 months in 2009, appeared to blame alcohol for his actions but also hinted at disturbing parts of his nature.

"When I touch it (alcohol), I can't think, so I do things. I'm going to stop drinking.

"But I'm not like other people...maybe this behaviour is part of my head."

Mr Soenen, who wrote an expert report for the 2009 court case, said he had assessed Huminski as a psychopath.

"He appeared particularly impulsive," Mr Soenen told Le Parisien.

"I sensed he was filled with real violence and a complete lack of remorse. I remember that in this case, I assessed him as a psychopath."

The expert added: "This is a serious and very rare diagnosis. He seems to have confirmed my suspicions in the worst possible way.".

A march was held in memory of Chloe on Thursday as questions were raised about how Huminski was able to be in France after being banned for previous offences.

Reports suggested that the suspect had been planning to travel to Britain and to stay with a relative in Southampton.