Four men guilty of killing dad who was kidnapped, tortured and set on fire

Four men have been found guilty of killing a dad who was kidnapped, tortured and set on fire.

Tomasz Samel was brutally attacked by an organised crime group as punishment after HMRC seized £1m worth of cigarettes stored at his unit in Aston.

The 45-year-old was abducted from his home in Raleigh Close, Handsworth, in March 2019 by men posing as INTERPOL officers, a court heard.

From there, he was bundled into a white Peugeot van and driven to Liverpool, where he was doused in petrol and set on fire.

Mr Samel suffered 75% burns to his body and was dumped in a remote location. He managed to seek help but died in hospital three months later.

Following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court, Tobiasz Kozlowski, aged 38, from Kirkby, Merseyside, and Neil Jones, aged 48, of no fixed address, were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.

Kevin Wooden, aged 46, from Banbury, and Kye Arthur, aged 35, from Bristol, were cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.

All four men had admitted conspiracy to kidnap and falsely imprison.

Kozlowski’s wife Sandra Kozlowska, aged 38, also from Kirkby, was found guilty of assisting an offender. Sentencing was adjourned until October 9. The four men were remanded into custody while Kozlowska was allowed to remain on bail.

Kate Seal, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: ‘This was a brutal attack on a man who was kidnapped from his own home and subjected to horrendous violence.

‘The CPS worked closely with West Midlands Police throughout this lengthy and complex investigation to pursue lines of enquiry and build a case using forensic, digital and witness evidence.

‘Our thoughts remain with Mr Samel’s family, who have endured unimaginable suffering, including witnessing his abduction from their family home.

‘I hope these verdicts provide some measure of closure and reassurance that justice has been achieved.’

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