The charred remains of Mariusz Majewski were found in a fire pit in the back garden of a house in Pleasant View, Felinfoel
A COURT has heard how a man accused of murdering his housemate was acting in self-defence when he picked up an axe and hit his victim in the head.
Phillip Hudson-Jones then "panicked" and lied to police about what had happened, telling them that Polish thugs had come to his house and killed the man before threatening him and forcing him to incinerate the deceased's body.
A severed arm and charred bone fragments were all police found of 31-year-old Mariusz Majewski when they went to Hudson-Jones' house in the Felinfoel area of Llanelli in November last year.
The Polish national's body had been dismembered before being incinerated in a fire pit in the back garden of the Pleasant View house.
Hudson-Jones and his co-accused, Adrian Iwanowski, are alleged to have murdered Mr Majewski — charges they both deny.
Today Swansea Crown Court heard details of two defence case statements given to the authorities by Hudson-Jones in the months before his trial.
In the first statement, given in June, the defendant said that on November 6 he had returned home from shopping to find two Polish thugs in his house — they then killed Mr Majewski because he had stolen a large quantity of the drug amphetamine from their gang, wrapped his body in a tarpaulin sheer, and ordered Hudson-Jones to burn it in the garden. Frightened at what they might do to him, the defendant said he carried out their instructions.
In a second statement, given by the defendant at the end of September just before the trial started, he gave a different version of events — in this amended statement he said that on the day in question Mr Majewski had been in an agitated state, at one stage kicking the defendant's dog. Hudson-Jones said that Mr Majewski later picked up a hammer and "went for him" — the defendant picked up an axe from his workbag and swung the tool in self-defence, hitting Mr Majewski in the head and causing him to fall backwards onto the sofa. The statement said "within a short period of time" it was apparent his housemate had died.
Hudson-Jones' statement then goes on to say he "panicked", rolled his victim's body in a duvet, and subsequently dug a pit in the back garden and burnt the body with his co-accused, using a saw to cut the dead man's legs off so he fitted in the hole.
Hudson-Jones himself is due to take to the witness stand tomorrow to give evidence
.Hudson-Jones, aged 45, of Pleasant View, Felinfoel, Llanelli, and 21-year-old Iwanowski, of Station Road, Llanelli, deny murder.
Three other people are also on trial in relation to the death of Mr Majewski — Adam Goodwin, aged 37, of Caeglas, Cross Hands; Jason Henderson, aged 44, of Foelgastell near Brechfa; and 18-year-old Sophie Jones of Clos St Paul, Llanelli — are all accused of assisting an offender. The three of them deny the charges against them.
The trial continues.
Read more at http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/llanelli-murder-accused-acted-in-self-defence-when-he-hit-victim-in-head-with-axe/story-29819872-detail/story.html#h3Jki8MHdYwHBB87.99
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