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    Man Guilty Of 'Brutal' Elderly Couple Murder

    A Polish man has been found guilty of murdering an elderly Italian couple in a "brutal and savage" attack after they caught him burgling their home.

    Giuseppe Massaro, 80, and his wife Caterina, 77, suffered "dreadful" injuries after they were hit over the head with a hammer and stabbed by Ireneusz Bartnowski, 22.

    Bartnowski was sentenced to life behind bars, and ordered to serve a minimum term of 34 years.

    The couples' bodies were discovered by granddaughter Lindsey Booth on Good Friday in April last year at Woden Road, Wolverhampton.

    Ms Booth, 24, called the emergency services as soon as she set foot in their house, then found their bodies in their bedroom.

    "I was walking up the stairs and I literally just pushed the door and I saw my granddad first then I walked round and I saw my nan," she said.

    "I thought 'Oh gosh, maybe they are still all right and I can do something,' and I touched them and they were cold. That is just something that you know a granddaughter should never have to do."

    The jury was told that the Massaros, who were "security conscious" because they had been burgled before, were found side by side in their bedroom, with a quilt partially covering Giuseppe Massaro's body.

    Mr Massaro had suffered "multiple injuries" to his head, neck and abdomen.

    One stab wound had a depth of 14cm. He was hit at least three times with a hammer which led to a brain haemorrhage, and there was evidence he had been punched and kicked by Bartnowski.

    Mrs Massaro suffered a similar ordeal and died of blood loss. The prosecution told Wolverhampton Crown Court that "one of the victims must have seen the other attacked", and must have known "the same would happen to them".

    After murdering them, Bartnowski stole the Massaros' car, money and two televisions, which were later sold for £200.

    CCTV showed Bartnowski taking the televisions away in the couple's Peugeot and returning to the victims' home twice "to look for things to steal" after their deaths.

    Bartnowski denied murdering the couple, who had lived in the same house since moving from Italy in 1960.

    He admitted breaking in, but claimed it was his Polish friend Wojciech Ostolski, 32, who killed them.

    Ostolski, who never faced a murder charge, was acquitted of handling stolen property from the Massaros' home.

    Wolverhampton Crown Court heard Bartnowski, who had arrived in the UK just eight days before murdering the couple, was living next door to them with his sister and would have been able to "watch them" and "learn about their routine".

    Bartnowski, who had a previous conviction for burglary in Poland, told the court through an interpreter that he had started taking crack cocaine days before the double murder.

    His blood was found on both murder weapons, his fingerprints were discovered on documents in the couple's house and his DNA was found in the pocket of Guiseppe Massaro.

    Rosa Carella, 29, also granddaughter to the victims, said she was "disgusted" by the murders.

    She said of Bartnowski: "There is not a word to describe him in any dictionary. He is a vile, disgusting man basically and I hope he gets what he deserves."

    Superintendent Keith Wilson, senior investigating officer in the case, said: "Throughout all the police interviews he said 'No comment', except in July when he requested the interview with us.

    "He has shown no remorse whatsoever and I think he is a cowardly individual who has committed an evil, evil attack."

     
    • Carol  •  Ilford, England  •  3 months ago
      I am now in my 80th year and often look back on my youth - we actually respected (and wouldn't dare to even cheek) a policeman and the very rare murder was a shock. Sadly, I am now almost 'looking forward" to dying as our dear country has got so violent. Unbelieveable - the killer only here for 8 days yet we now pay for his keep for decades to come! Why isn't he sent back to his own country for punishment?
      • Raz 3 months ago
        In your days, you had the war, if that isn't violent, then what is.
      • BBW101 3 months ago
        Raz you prat.
      • BBW101 3 months ago
        LOL!
    • C  •  Manchester, England  •  3 months ago
      What really scares me here is that he was allowed in with a previous conviction for burglary. Is that not asking for trouble? What those people suffered & the ordeal of the poor grandaughter is hard to imagine & could have been prevented with a modicum of common sense on the part of the legislators. Too much to hope for?
      • Simon 3 months ago
        been other recent cases where East Euro/Baltic killers with previous hyper-violent form simply sail into Britain, under any radar until they draw attention by carelessly murdering some poor sod. Judges at the trials throw up hands in horror "Why was this person in the country?" You should know why by now, your Honour.
      • Spongebob 3 months ago
        Thats because unless they are rapists, burglers, murderes or drug pedlers then they waont be let into Britain. Makes me sick and I am sick of hearing about their rights and if we true white (yes i said white) British citizens say anything, then we are branded racists. Enough is enough and it's way past the time that these polish vermit were kicked out. They are vile, ignorant scroungers that are even paid child benefits by our government for their children that have never stepped foot in britain. This was a toatally cruel and senseless murder of a lovely couple that should never have been allowed to happen. When will we or should I say will we ever get our country back
      • Spongebob 3 months ago
        sorry I meant to say vermin not vermit
    • WELSHGUY  •  Manchester, England  •  3 months ago
      I am 60. I never agreed with capital punishment but I now believe that for crimes of this nature it is the answer. It sends the clearest of all messages and might have saved these poor peoples lives. Murder is now a common every day event in this country. People push knives into others on a whim. That whim would not be so strong if they knew that they could loose their lives for the act.We now have to keep yet another murderer for the rest of his natural life adding to the growing numbers of these horrors who's lives we keeping, while they for their part thought nothing of taking the lives of their victims.
      • Glenn 3 months ago
        I hear you loud and clear.. any #$%$ that pulls a knife out on me. will be feeling it where the sun does shine and I will break the knife inside of his #$%$ so he'll be #$%$ metal bits all his life.
      • Adrian 3 months ago
        Big words Glen, but what about those who can't defend themselves? This was an elderly couple, not fit young people who could fight back. You wouldn't become a target for someone like this Polish parasite, simply because you look too risky to tackle.
      • JimB 3 months ago
        This animal should really stay inside for ever. 34 years is a joke: the people who were murdered got forever. But capital punishment is not the answer. It is simply unacceptable to have the risk of executing an innocent person.
    • Northern Sky  •  London, England  •  3 months ago
      The mind boggles. My local freecycle site always has televisons that people are giving away for nothing yet this bloke murdered two defenceless pensioners to get their's?
      • Simon 3 months ago
        Presumably the ones on the tip aren't HD/plasma/3D i.e. the latest, flashest stuff that this walking black-hole is solely interested in and DEMANDS at any price.
      • Glenn 3 months ago
        Sadly Sky.. it is a two cases of the world where people whom ain't privaliged to have nice things say. well if I can't have it given to me then I'll take it from thoes whom can afford it even if it means they have to kill them.. they are the people that would steal out of thrie own momma's bag or grannies for a few lousy quid.. enough said.
    • Chief Running Mouth  •  London, England  •  3 months ago
      Hang him
      • Felix Hibernia 3 months ago
        Hanging would be too merciful - he ought to get what he gave that poor couple. I wonder how he'd feel after being stabbed the first time only to be told, "no, you're getting the same number as you gave that man and you'll be getting the same number of hammer blows too."
      • SKELLY 3 months ago
        here's the rope - you do it -you wanabe murderer !
      • Chief Running Mouth 3 months ago
        @Skelly- Who says im a wannabe?
    • Mark  •  Edinburgh, Scotland  •  3 months ago
      He should be sent back to Poland with murderer branded on his forehead, If i had caught him in my house he would have left in a body bag.
    • KIMBERLY  •  Manchester, England  •  3 months ago
      all immigrants should be checked before they come in.if no details can be found then they dont come in simple.we should also adopt the aussie way of getting sponsorships before they enter the country, no sponsorship no entry.its not rocket science to come up with ideas to stop people coming in,not all immigrants break the law so if they have nothing to hide before they come in they should be able to get references to show they are not guilty of any crime in their own country..
    • Girosnooty  •  3 months ago
      Do the border people let anyone in .He had a previous conviction for burglary
    • DRUMMER  •  Glasgow, Scotland  •  3 months ago
      Is it not time that we do what EVERY country in the world does.... criminal conviction?? you DONT get in to stay. Police are aware of criminals from outwith the EU, living in Britain. When did China,Iran and Afghanistan become part of the EU? Time to round up ALL foreign crooks and deport the LOT!!!
    • Susee  •  3 months ago
      He could still be out of prison when he is 56. Far too much life left for a life sentence! Campaign for life to mean LIFE!
    • BAZZER  •  Manchester, England  •  3 months ago
      how the hell was this yob allowed passed border security
    • STEVEN  •  3 months ago
      What do you have to do these days to get a whole life sentence? He should either spend the rest of his life in jail or, preferably, be hanged.
    • andyg  •  3 months ago
      Unfortunately, there's no way we can check the histories of immigrants without full access to the records of each person's home country. Even America doesn't know how to do it (have you seen the questionnaire's that ask about criminal history - like anyone's going to own up!!).

      The only way I can think of even remotely trying to stop the unsavoury influx into the UK is to insist on a document from the home country. Then again, a lot of those have wall to wall corruption.

      No idea how to protect our small island other than to refuse entry to the lot of them.
    • SUSAN  •  London, England  •  3 months ago
      if he needed an interpreter then he was not working and living off UK benefits .... surprise, surprise.
    • MAUREEN  •  Brixham, England  •  3 months ago
      The government must know the background of these people and they still let them in! It used to be Britain sending criminals to Australia, now it's Britain importing criminals from all over the world!
    • Nick  •  Ware, England  •  3 months ago
      We need harsher punishments for burglars. Housebreaking is a form of assault, whether or not the victim is physically injured
    • pauligirl  •  Hull, England  •  3 months ago
      If he had a previous conviction for burglary in Poland how on earth was he allowed into this country? I hope the couple rest in peace together and my thoughts are with their family
    • davelo  •  Manchester, England  •  3 months ago
      We have enough virmin of our own in this country withot the need to be importing more, MP's have said that immigration is good for our country, so if one of them could please explain the good in this tradgic case, as I just don't see it my self.
    • KMA  •  Coventry, England  •  3 months ago
      I assume after it's(sorry his)jail term it'll be back to his original country then!?
    • MATT  •  3 months ago
      Better LISTEN to what the majority of the people in this country are shouting out for.
      We've had enough.
      We've had more than enough.
      This must stop and soon.
      It's all gonna kck off big style.