The family of a murdered Lichfield factory worker have said their life feels “pointless” without her.
They spoke after 29-year-old Tomasz Sobczak was jailed for life for murdering his Polish housemate Sylwia ‘Magda’ Ciapcinska in Burton in 2010.
Sobczak, of Ash Street, Burton, was charged with Sylwia’s murder on August 5 last year and remanded in custody, but refused to disclose where the 24-year-old graduate’s body was. It was eventuyally found in her black suitcase on the Washlands in Burton on September 17, two months after her disappearance.
He denied murder but was found guilty by jurors following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court and was jailed for life and will serve a minimum of 20 years.
In a statement, the family of Sylwia – who was known as Magda and worked at Amethyst Logistics at Fradley Park – said:
“It is impossible to put into words the loss we feel. Life feels pointless without Magda. Magda was very young. She had her whole life ahead of her and so many wise, far-reaching plans. She inherited a plot of land from her grandma on which she wanted to build a house to live. Suddenly, all of her plans came crashing down. We are unable to come to terms with the fact that she is gone.
“Magda got on with everyone and would bring every needy dog or cat home with her. She picked her friends well, was responsible and made daily contact with us when she was in England. She was gorgeous, healthy, clever and well-educated, having achieved a Master’s degree in psychology and teacher training.
“Magda came to England so she could improve her life and fulfil her dreams but instead she met a murderer on her path. We cannot understand what kind of human being Sobczak must be to take Magda’s right to life away – and in such a cruel way. There is no adequate punishment. We hope Sobczak understands the pain he has caused us.”
Even though Sylwia’s body was absent for most of their inquiry, detectives from Staffordshire Police’s Major Investigation Department painstakingly gathered compelling evidence against Sobczak which revealed:
- Sobczak used Sylwia’s bank card to withdraw a total of £420 from her bank account on July 20 and 21, after she was last seen alive. He falsely claimed she’d lent him her card and lied about the money to his wife.
- He placed Sylwia’s SIM card into his mobile phone on July 20.
- Sobczak told housemates that Sylwia had moved out of the house, to go and see a friend. Her possessions – including her passport, laptop computer, clothes and bank letters – were hidden in a cardboard box in the property’s loft. Sobczak’s fingerprints were discovered on the box’s contents and the tape used to package it
- He was unexpectedly absent from work on July 20 and 21.
- Before July 20 Sobczak researched numerous websites about methods of asphyxiation on his computer.
DCI Steff Lungrin, who led the inquiry, said:
“Sylwia’s disappearance was completely out of character. She was an intelligent, diligent woman who kept in touch with her family in Poland on a daily basis. From the outset, we feared Sylwia had come to harm.
“Sobczak put Sylwia’s family through weeks of torment. As evidence built against him, he refused to say where her body lay. We never discovered his motive, as he consistently denied killing Sylwia in interview. The weight of evidence against him ultimately proved too strong, resulting in his conviction today.
“Sylwia was a hard-working young lady with a bright future stretching out in front of her. She’d recently graduated in Poland, and qualified as a school teacher. After arriving in the UK on July 2, her plan was to work here for 12 months to earn enough to help buy a home in Poland. Sobczak’s senseless killing deprived Sylwia of her dreams, and her family of their precious daughter and sister.”