A brutal thug has been convicted of the murder of 77-year-old Jadwiga Szczygielska.
Roman Frackiewicz was found guilty today at the High Court in Edinburgh after attacking the elderly church-goer in her own home.
Described as a "generous and caring woman", earlier this week, the court heard how Jadwiga had died from repeated blunt force injuries to the chest.
It was also stated that Jadwiga had rented Frackiewicz the flat’s only bedroom at £200-a-month for two years while she slept on a sofa in the living room.
In April of 2020, police were called to the home on Pirniefield Bank in Edinburgh where her body was found inside the home.
The trial heard on Tuesday that Jadwiga suffered 14 rib fractures along with a heart rupture and two collapsed lungs.
Frackiewicz had denied murdering the 77-year-old, and told the court that she may have been trying to get to the kitchen while he slept and “must have fallen down” and perhaps suffered a “haemorrhage”.
However, the 44-year-old was found guilty today of the murder.
Speaking today, Detective Inspector Bob Williamson of the Major Investigation Team in Edinburgh said:
"Jadwiga Szczygielska was a generous and caring woman who was well liked within the community.
"She allowed Roman Frackiewicz to stay in her home at a time when he had nowhere else to live.
“Frackiewicz repaid Jadwiga by taking advantage of her within her own home and abusing her kindness.
"We will never know why he chose to attack her that night but his actions were violent, brutal and cruel resulting in the catastrophic injuries suffered by Jadwiga. He left her to die on her kitchen floor while he went to his bed.
"This guilty verdict will never bring Jadwiga back but I sincerely hope it will bring some sense of justice to her family.”
