Duo charged with UK murder were on the run from police in Poland

TWO Polish criminals facing trial in their country for a murder in Britain were on the run for other violent offences at the time.

- EXCLUSIVE BY LEE SORRELL

Tomasz Weiss, 36, and Adrian Pietraszewski, 28, are set to appear at Gliwice regional court accused of killing Andrezj Mucha in Slough, Berks, in November 2021 - only the second known trial to take place abroad for a UK murder.

It is alleged that fellow Pole Mr Mucha, 57, was beaten by both men in his flat before Weiss strangled him.

His body was then stuffed in a suitcase and buried in nearby woodland.

Last month Thames Valley Police said that human remains found by officers in woods in Stoke Poges, Bucks about three miles from the alleged murder scene - had been formally identified as the victim.

At the time of Mr Mucha’s death, both men were wanted by Polish police for other violent crimes. They later committed further offences in Britain.

Their cases have been viewed as indictments of lax criminal history checks at the British border.

Legal documents show that in July 2021, four months before Mr Mucha’s murder, a judge at Westminster magistrates court had ordered the extradition of Pietraszewski to serve an outstanding sentence for a string of crimes, including assaulting two police officers and criminal damage. He was released on bail and broke his electronic tag to go on the run after his appeal against removal was dismissed the following April.

The father-of-one had arrived in Britain in 2018 having failed to keep in touch with his probation officer triggering a suspended sentence of one year, nine months and 28 days for his previous crimes in Poland.