One of two women who beat and tortured their neighbour to death after wrongly accusing him of being a paedophile spat out a callous comment as their innocent victim lay dying from stab wounds.
Zoe Rider, 36, and Nicola Lethbridge, 45, unleashed a sickening attack on Stephen Koszyczarski, 60, and even filmed the defenceless victim as they taunted and hurled sickening abuse at him.
As Mr Koszyczarski replied: "I can't stop bleeding" one of the women could be heard on the footage responding: "Do you think I give a f***?"
It took jurors at Sheffield Crown Court who were shown the horror footage, just two hours and 35 minutes to find the Rider, 36, and Nicola Lethbridge, 45, guilty of robbery and murder.
Pictured: 45-year-old Nicola Lethbridge who beat Koszyczarski to death (Yorkshire Live/MEN Media)
36-year-old Zoe Rider joined her friend as they beat and tortured the man (Yorkshire Live/MEN Media)M anchester Evening News reports the footage recorded the killers verbally abusing Mr Koszyczarski as they robbed and attacked him. One woman was heard saying: "Dirty, f****** wrong 'un...Having his f****** balls cut off. Where's the knife, where's the scissors gone? Little f****** n**e that abusing little girls aren't you Steve?"
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Another joined in, added: "Aren't you Steve?" While the other said: "Not even denying it you f\***** c**." As the footage continued, one of the defendants said: "Wipe your f\***** face." Mr Koszyczarski replied: "I can't stop bleeding." To which she responded: "Do you think I give a f***?"
The women were found to have had no evidence to prove Mr Koszyczarski was a sex offender, and a South Yorkshire Police investigation also uncovered no wrongdoing on his part. Prosecutor Andrew O'Byrne KC told the court that Mr Koszyczarski lived alone at his flat in Woodseats, Sheffield, and was described as a "collector".
On the day of his murder, he had gone to a cafe and had spoken to the female owner, who he knew. The woman was said to have expressed concern about Mr Koszyczarski, who seemed to be "running short of money". Mr O'Byrne said: "During the course of the conversation, he complained he wasn't getting much sleep because people in his block were making a lot of noise and disturbing him."
The woman reportedly offered Mr Koszyczarski £55, and while he was reluctant at first, he eventually took the money. He was then captured on CCTV making his way home, but at 11:20pm that night, he pressed a button on a lanyard that activated an alarm used for assistance for those with health issues. Mr O'Byrne said: "He spoke to an operator and asked for assistance. He told them he had been attacked and was bleeding." Female voices were heard in the background of that call.
The court heard that Stephen was taken to hospital to be treated, but sadly died on August 11. A pathologist who carried out a post-mortem examination said he "died as a consequence of what he describes as a sustained and blunt-force physical assault and haemorrhage of the skull".
Sheffield Crown Court was shown the sickening footage of Koszyczarski being beaten (Yorkshire Live/MEN Media)Following the defendants' arrests, police found a video of the duo assaulting Mr Koszyczarski. One of them was seen wearing cream jogging bottoms, which forensic officers found a small amount of blood on belonging to Mr Koszyczarski. Both the women's DNA were also found in the waistband of the clothing.
Mr Koszyczarski sustained injuries to his head and neck, bruises to his ear, eyes, cheeks and lips. He had also suffered bruising to his chest that were "most likely caused by kicks". Mr O'Byrne described the assault as "sadistic."
Speaking after the guilty verdicts, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Woodward said: “Stephen was described as a quiet man. Although he had a close circle of friends, he kept himself to himself and just went about his business. He didn’t cause any problems or hurt anyone and his death was callous.
"Lethbridge and Rider had not only subjected Stephen to mental torture and physical abuse but they humiliated him during the attack wrongly accusing him of being a paedophile which was simply not the case. I am pleased with the jury’s verdict and the fact that these two will now spend a significant amount of years in prison.”
Lethbridge and Rider, both of Fraser Drive, Woodseats, were remanded into custody and will be sentenced on June 5.
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