Guilty verdict for Kamil Milczarczyk murder

HULL

A man who fatally stabbed 24-year-old Kamil Milczarczyk following an unprovoked attack in Hull City Centre has been found guilty of his murder at Hull Crown Court following a trial lasting almost six weeks.

Brandon Thompson, 22, of Clanthorpe, Hull, was charged with Kamil’s murder and possession of an offensive weapon, and was convicted today (Thursday, 7 November) following a unanimous decision reached by the jury.

On Friday, 24 March 2023, officers were patrolling Hull City Centre when they were alerted by members of the public at around 11.20pm, that a man had been stabbed following a large altercation between a group of people on Princes Dock Street in Hull.

Officers swiftly attended and discovered Kamil Milczarczyk laid in the street having sustained a stab wound to his chest, and immediately began first aid treatment before paramedics arrived at the scene.

Kamil was transported to hospital, however, despite the efforts of medical staff, Kamil died shortly after from his injuries and a murder investigation was launched.

Thompson was also charged with violent disorder in connection to the incident, however pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, along with ten other men who also entered guilty pleas to the offence.

Seven of the ten men were from Hull: Tyler Ridley, 18, of Lisset Grove, Corey Burrows, 19, of 1^st Avenue, Harry Price, 18, of Skelton Avenue, Henri Hairsine, 23, of Milldane, Bradley Moyo, 19, of Skelton Avenue, Safwan Sharif, 18, of Britannia Gardens, and Mason Opie-Palmer, 20, of Dawnway Drive.

The additional three who entered guilty pleas to violent disorder at earlier hearings were Jack Briggs, 22, of Holtby Avenue, Cottingham, Harvey Rimmington, 21, of Aston Hall Drive, North Ferriby, and Andrew Smith, 23, of Everthorpe Lane, North Cave.

Six of the men were also on trial, charged with Kamil’s manslaughter. They were all found not guilty of this offence.

In addition, Loui Taylor, 21, of Main Street, Broomfleet was found not guilty of both the manslaughter of Kamil and violent disorder and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons was also found not guilty of violent disorder.

Thompson has been remanded into custody and will be sentenced next month.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Nicole Elliott, leading the investigation into Kamil’s murder, said: “My thoughts remain today with Kamil’s family who have lost their loved one and I want to pay tribute and thank them for their courage, strength and continued support throughout the investigation and trial.

“An accidental bump of shoulders in a bar between two groups, that Kamil wasn’t even present at, sparked the chain of events that saw Brandon Thompson armed with a knife and the other offenders heading into the city centre to seek them out, ending Kamil’s life and causing devastation to his family.

“Kamil was a young man with his whole future ahead of him. He was just enjoying a night out with his friends when he was viciously attacked in a senseless act and left fighting for his life as the group ran away and our enquiries swiftly commenced to identify and locate all of them involved.”

During the incident, teams in the Force Control Room monitored the suspects movements from the scene towards the area of George Street where they fled on CCTV and traced members of the group entering a property on Grimston Street and vehicles leaving the location.

Officers were immediately deployed and upon entering the address, two of the suspects were located and arrested.

Investigations continued throughout the night and into the following day, with cordons being put in place around Princes Dock Street and Queen’s Gardens whilst officers carried out extensive lines of enquiries.

This included gathering and reviewing hours of CCTV footage in and around the area, conducting searches by our underwater search team, house-to-house enquiries and carrying out various forensic examinations.

As a result of these enquiries, over the days that followed the outstanding suspects were all identified and arrested.

Detective Chief Inspector Nicole Elliott continued: “The underwater search unit conducted a thorough search of the water surrounding Princes Quay and recovered a metallic aqua blue knife.

“After reviewing CCTV footage, Brandon Thompson was identified as carrying this weapon in his hand during the attack and discarding of it into the water at Princes Quay afterwards.

“Whilst nothing can ever reverse the horrific attack on Kamil that night, I am pleased Brandon Thompson has been found guilty of murder and he will now have to live with the consequences of his actions.

“The conviction of Brandon Thompson and others are a testament to the hard work and determination of the Major Crime Team, with assistance from colleagues force wide and the Crown Prosecution Service.

“Reducing knife crime is a priority for Humberside Police and I hope this case serves as a strong warning to anyone who carries a knife. The consequences are devastating and can not only result in serious harm, but in this case, taking someone’s life.

“We are committed to doing all we can to prosecute those who carry bladed weapons and use them against others to prevent other families having to suffer the tragic loss of a loved one.”

Speaking of their heartbreaking loss, Kamil’s family said: “Kamil’s death changed our lives forever and the world has never been the same since the day he was taken from us.

“There are simply no words to describe the level of heartache and loss we continue to feel every day.

“No one deserves to die like this, alone, in such pain and suffering, and we will never be able to comprehend why anyone would carry out such a horrific attack against him.

“Kamil was so young with his whole life ahead of him. He always had time for people and had a huge heart. He would do anything for his family, he was an amazing uncle and leaves behind his niece and nephews who miss him dearly.

“Kamil was still looking for his place in the world, he was planning to live his life and explore a new city, but he never got the chance to do it.

“Even throughout difficult times, Kamil always had a smile on his face, and we will forever miss his laughter, joy, and zest for life.

“We never thought we would have to say goodbye to Kamil this way. No verdict will bring Kamil back and no verdict will ever give a sense of justice being served.

“People need to stop and think about where they lost their humanity, empathy, respect and love for human life.”

Our latest campaign, What’s The Point?, raises awareness of knife crime and its ripple effects, and tells the story of three of the six men who have lost their lives to a knife in the last eighteen months.

One knife impacts more than one life - find out more and watch the films, here.