Two girls who murdered a ‘quiet and shy man with a coronary heart of gold’ to steal jewelry to fund their drug habits had been jailed for at least 26 years at the moment.
Zoe Rider, 36, and Nicola Lethbridge, 45, falsely accused their susceptible neighbour Stephen Koszyczarski, 60, of being a paedophile, when in actuality he was ‘variety and beneficiant’ with no historical past of wrongdoing.
Whereas underneath the affect of medication and doubtless alcohol, they threatened to mutilate him earlier than battering and kicking him to dying in his Sheffield dwelling final August, a court docket heard.
Mr Koszyczarski suffered 22 accidents to his face, head and physique and died from a bleed to a mind within the sadistic theft, which the decide mentioned was completed to steal valuables to fund their drug habit.
Rider and Lethbridge had been discovered responsible of theft and homicide by a jury at Sheffield Crown Courtroom final month.
Stephen Koszyczarski, 60, was described as a ‘quiet’ man who saved to himself in Sheffield
Zoe Rider (left) and Nicola Lethbridge (proper) had been jailed for at least 26 years at the moment
In the present day Choose Sarah Wright gave them a compulsory life sentence and mentioned they need to serve a minimal time period of 26 years behind bars.
She mentioned they accused their susceptible sufferer ‘fully spuriously and with none purpose to take action of being a paedophile.’
Mr Koszyczarski lived alone, was susceptible with a gentle studying incapacity and was unwell with a historical past of coronary heart issues, diabetes and epilepsy.
He was helpless when attacked by the ‘sadistic’ girls who focused him, the court docket heard.
The decide advised them: ‘You set about him in essentially the most brutal, heartless and despicable method. You launched a vicious and intensely violent joint assault upon him. You uncovered his genitals, threatened to mutilate him and shouted obscenities at him. You singularly did not take heed to his denials of the accusation or to supply him any compassion when he was clearly injured.’
The decide mentioned they meant to ‘humiliate, terrify and damage him’ and left him ‘disorientated, injured and bleeding.’
Mr Koszyczarski was in a position to name for an ambulance however died later in hospital.
The court docket heard proof he was ‘financially snug’ and his every day routine was to go to a café to speak.
However in his remaining few weeks he was ‘wanting cash, unkempt and cautious,’ which the decide mentioned was as a consequence of Rider and Lethbridge ‘holding him awake and horrifying him.’
Sheffield Crown Courtroom, the place Rider and Lethbridge had been convicted of murdering Stephen Koszyczarski on August 9 final 12 months
They then took issues additional by beating him to dying. Harrowing cell phone footage filmed by Rider and performed on the trial confirmed him bleeding as two girls threaten him with a knife and scissors.
The court docket heard an intensive police investigation discovered that no youngsters went to his dwelling and he had no connection of any kind with paedophile exercise.
A sufferer affect assertion from shut pal Mary Jones, who knew him for 38 years, mentioned ‘Stephen was variety and mild.’
She mentioned: ‘It is heartbreaking I will not see him once more. I cry most days and nights. He was a particular man. He would assist anyone and had a coronary heart of gold. Why have they murdered him when he ought to nonetheless be alive, having fun with his life? Since he was taken from me I take a look at his {photograph} – he is smiling in that picture. I’ll love Stephen and miss him from the remainder of my life.’
John Ryder, KC, for Rider, advised the court docket she had a horrible upbringing. As a younger little one she was compelled to shoplift to fund her mom’s drug habit and crushed by her mother and father. She was launched to hashish at 12 and moved on to Class A medication.
Inevitably Rider had a prolonged prison historical past, together with robberies, he mentioned.
Jamie Hill, KC, for Lethbridge, advised the decide his shopper additionally had a troubled previous and would not have dedicated the offences on her personal.
