Lillie Road Murder Trial Begins at Old Bailey
Four teenagers charged with stabbing chef Krzysztof
The trial has begun at the Old Bailey of four teenagers charged with the murder of Polish chef Krzysztof Rusek in Lillie Road.
The court heard that Krzysztof, who worked at the Ibis Hotel, was celebrating his 30th birthday when he was killed by a gang of teenage robbers who stole just £12 in coins.
The defendants, Ruairi Bicknell, 18, of White City, and a 17 year-old and two 16 year-olds who cannot be named for legal reasons, all from west London, deny murder.
Krzysztof had been in Britain for eight years and lived in Willesden. On June 6, he was celebrating his 30th birthday with his girlfriend and three male friends after finishing work at midnight.
After buying some drinks, the friends were sitting on the grass area on the edge of West Kensington Estate, when a group of men tried to rob them.
Prosecutor Simon Denison told the court: " As they went to leave the park area, they were confronted by a team of teenage robbers out looking for victims.
" They were hooded, they were carrying knives and they were intent on using their knives to commit robbery."
With knives pointing at each of them, one of Krzysztof's friends handed over all the money they had - £12 in coins, said Mr Denison. No one saw what happened next, when Krzysztof was stabbed twice, once in the back of the leg and the fatal wound to the chest severing a major blood vessel.
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We do not know if he tried to resist, or did not co-operate, or if he did nothing," said Mr Denison.
One friend, a Portuguese barman, had grabbed one of the robbers who was holding him at knifepoint. He was also stabbed in the leg but was uninjured because the knife was stopped by plastic cards in his wallet, said Mr Denison.
The Old Bailey heard that the robbers split up and ran away, changing their clothes and appearance.
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17 year-old and one of the 16 year-olds claimed they were not at the park and the other two said they played no part in the attack.
The trial is continuing.
