A 100-year-old Holocaust survivor woman was killed by heroin addict

News24xx.com -  A footage has been released showing the final moments of a 100-year-old woman was murdered on her way to church. Holocaust survivor Zofija Kaczan was knocked to the floor by heroin addict Artur Waszkiewicz and left bleeding in the middle of the road – all for the sake of £20. 

Waszkiewicz was caught on CCTV driving a Seat Leon car he bought from his father minutes before robbing Ms Kaczan – slowing down as soon as he saw a small and vulnerable woman on her own. 

He ripped the handbag and inflicted significant bruising on Ms Kaczan’s arm. And a short time later to buy £20 of heroin.

She died nine days later from pneumonia, which was brought on by the attack. When she was found she was leaning against a car, blood pouring from her head. Her injuries were so bad they left police officers in tears. 

They took her to church before she went to hospital where she died on June 6 last year. Zofija was born in Poland and survived a Nazi death camp during World War Two, moving to the UK in 1948.  

Police arrested Waszkiewicz, who was also born in Poland, after his fingerprint was recovered from a receipt in the bag. He fled the city and hid under a bed at his mother’s house in London to try to avoid arrest. 

He drastically altered his appearance by cutting his long hair and changed the insurance details on his car. 

The jury heard he was so desperate for cash that he had tried to sell his dog, and asked neighbour John Shinners for money.

The trial was told the 40-year-old had a number of previous convictions including shoplifting and creating false identification documents. 

But he denied both charges, saying he had found the green handbag in the middle of the road, picked it up, and disposed of it at a well-known fly-tipping area because there was no cash. 

Waszkiewicz, of Hilary Road in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, will be sentenced at the same court on Thursday.

 

 

 

 

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