A man whose body was cut into at least 27 pieces had been bludgeoned to death by his lodger who then set about dismembering his body using a hacksaw, a jury was told today.
Stuart Everett’s skull alone was split into several fragments with his face stripped off and dumped separately, they were told after being warned they were about to hear ‘distressing’ evidence about his death.
The ‘gruesome’ discovery of a lower torso and thighs wrapped in cling film by a horrified member of the public in a Salford nature reserve last April sparked a massive police search to identify the victim.
It was immediately obvious that the body part belonged to a man who had been ‘sawn into pieces’, according to the prosecution.
Police later found a further 26 parts of his body at four other locations, jurors were told – however only around one-third of Mr Everett’s remains have so far been recovered.
They discovered CCTV footage of a man entering woodland where the torso was found carrying a heavy looking bag for life before re-emerging with it empty and folded-up, the court heard.
Officers arrested Marcin Majerkiewicz, now 42, as he matched the suspect’s description and found him carrying two mobile phones plus bank cards in the name of Mr Everett, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Detectives established that Polish-born Majerkiewicz had been subletting a room from the 67-year-old, who hadn’t been seen alive for several weeks – although messages had allegedly been sent from his phone saying he was unwell.
Stuart Everett (pictured) was found cut into at least 27 pieces had been bludgeoned to death by his lodger
The discovery of a lower torso and thighs by a horrified member of the public sparked a massive police search to identify the victim (Pictured: A forensic tent at Kersal Dale)
Searches of the house they shared in Winton found bloodstains and saw marks – evidence that ‘something terrible had happened’ there, prosecutor Jason Pitter KC told jurors.
Police analysed Majerkiewicz’s movements in the days after Mr Everett’s disappearance using mobile phone data and recovered a further 26 parts of his body from four other locations, he said.
These included several pieces of skull which were found in a reservoir as well as Mr Everett’s face, which had been cut off.
The skull fragments were placed together by a pathologist who concluded that Mr Everett had been killed by ‘sustained, severe force blunt force physical assault in the form of repeated strikes to the head with a heavy blunt implement’, Mr Pitter said.
The first remains were found in a concrete bunker at Kersal Dale nature reserve on April 4 last year.
But jurors were told that Mr Everett was probably killed on the night of March 27.
Like the alleged killer, he was of Polish heritage having been born Roman Ziemacki, living in a rented property in which he sub-let rooms to Majerkiewicz and a second man, Michal Polchowski.
Jurors were told that Mr Everett and Majerkiewicz were ‘close’, but that the accused had expressed ‘frustration’ at his rent being increased.
It was immediately obvious that the body part belonged to a man who had been ‘sawn into pieces’, according to the prosecution (Pictured: Forensic officers at Kersal Dale)
Police found a further 26 parts of his body at four other locations, however only around one-third of Mr Everett’s remains have so far been recovered (Pictured: Police carry out searches)
His lower torso and thighs were found in one piece by members of the public who informed police, however at that stage his identity was unknown (Pictured: Police and forensics)
His lower torso and thighs were found in one piece by members of the public who informed police, however at that stage his identity was unknown.
Police examined CCTV of the area from April 2 and spotted a man with shoulder-length hair ‘holding what appeared to be a heavy blue bag for life,’ Mr Pitter said.
‘A part of the item in the bag was visible and the prosecution say was of a size that could match the body part later recovered.
‘He was to emerge a short while later holding the same bag but this time folded up.’
No one was pictured carrying anything similar into the area, jurors were told.
It was therefore a ‘proper conclusion’ that this was the killer ‘dumping the part of the body’, he told jurors.
A man fitting the suspect’s description was arrested on April 25 and gave his name as Marcin Majerkiewicz, the heard.
He allegedly had two mobile phones – one belonging to Mr Everett – as well as the victim’s bank cards.
Detectives established that Polish-born Majerkiewicz had been subletting a room from the 67-year-old, who hadn’t been seen alive for several weeks (Pictured: Forensics at the scene)
Like the alleged killer Mr Everett was of Polish heritage, having been born Roman Ziemacki, living in a rented property in which he sub-let rooms to Majerkiewicz (Pictured: Forensics)
Police then visited the men’s address where Mr Polchowski told them he had received a message from Mr Everett saying he was unwell and was moving to Derby, jurors were told.
It also contained Mr Everett’s bank details along with permission to use them – at that stage, Mr Polchowski was also arrested.
‘The prosecution say that message was a part of the cover up by the defendant and therefore sent by him,’ Mr Pitter said.
Searches of the property revealed bloodstains and an area of carpet from Majerkiewicz’s room which had been cut out.
Outside was a skip which contained further evidence that ‘a significant clean-up operation’ had recently taken place, he added.
It demonstrated that ‘something terrible had happened in that house’, the prosecutor said.
With Majerkiewicz in custody, his mobile phone was examined, and detectives retrieved CCTV from the locations he had visited in the days after Mr Everett’s disappearance, the court heard.
On March 28 he travelled to Worsley Woods with a wheeled bag, returning without it, Mr Pitter said.
Pictured: A heavy police presence at Blackleach Country Park as part of the investigation into the headless torso
Pictured: North West’s Underwater Search and Marine Unit operating in Blackleach Country Park Reservoir in search of remains
Police searched the woodland and found a black bin bag which allegedly contained Mr Everett’s blood.
Later that day he was seen carrying a large blue bag and travelling near to Chesterfield Close.
Here police found nine packages of body parts including internal organs such as Mr Everett’s heart, kidney, lungs and his genitalia.
On March 29 Majerkiewicz was seen travelling to Boggart Hole Clough – a popular Manchester park – where a section of spinal column was found.
Aso that day he was seen carrying a heavy bag to Linneyshaw Colliery Wood where police found another package of body parts wrapped in cling film, jurors heard.
It contained bones, muscle tissue and was comprised of ten different body parts which appeared to have been sawed away from the body.
Then on April 3 he visited Blackleach Reservoir in Salford where a further six parts of Mr Everett’s body were found, including skull fragments, face, and an ear.
Evidence therefore placed Majerkiewicz in those locations, Mr Pitter told jurors, ‘often arriving with an apparently heavy bag but each time leaving without it or having emptied the contents’.
As the jury was sworn in yesterday, trial judge Mr Justice Cavanagh told jurors it was a ‘major case’ which ‘may excite strong emotions’.
‘Some of the evidence will be distressing, however you must keep a cool head,’ he told them.
Majerkiewicz – his hair now closely cropped and dressed in a dark grey tracksuit top – sat in the glass-panelled dock alongside a Polish interpreter listening to the case against him.
Jurors were told it was likely that Majerkiewicz had ‘dismembered’ Mr Everett at the house they had shared following the ‘brutal’ killing.
While it was ‘likely that the entire dismemberment took place after death’, he told jurors it was ‘possible’ that ‘some of the cuts occurred whilst Stuart Everett was alive’.
Bloodstains were found on the washing machine door along with ‘splashes’ in Majerkiewicz’s bedroom, jurors were told.
In the skip outside were pieces of the carpet from his room containing diluted blood – ‘evidence of an attempted clean-up’, Mr Pitter said.
Majerkiewicz had ‘most likely’ used a hacksaw to cut up the bones – as one was found with Mr Everett’s DNA on it near the reservoir where the skull fragments were found, he said.
A ‘sharp implement’ was used to cut the soft tissues, Mr Pitter said.
The ‘removal of the facial skin, whilst broadly keeping it intact, would have required some patience and skill to achieve’, he added.
‘Together they marked a brutal attack on Stuart Everett leading to his death,’ Mr Pitter said.
After the killing a ‘great attempt’ to clean up the property took place, jurors heard, with Majerkiewicz ordering a skip – using Mr Everett’s name – and a neighbour seeing black bin bags brought outside.
The bin bags were searched and found to contain a hacksaw blade with Mr Everett’s DNA on plus antibacterial wipes allegedly with traces of his blood.
Also inside the bags was a waterproof coat belonging to Majerkiewicz with Mr Everett’s blood on the cuff, the court was told.
The victim’s blood was also found on a sofa bed while traces of his DNA were recovered from a fridge, jurors heard.
Messages sent from Mr Everett’s phone to Mr Polchowski saying he was in Derby and had suffered a stroke had in reality clearly been sent by Majerkiewicz, the prosecution say.
Police also searched the home of Majerkiewicz’s partner Agnes where they found bloodstained fragments of Mr Everett’s skin along with tiny pieces of bone in a Rug Doctor carpet cleaning machine, it was alleged.
They also discovered traces of the victim’s blood on a suit and a pair of Adidas sliders allegedly belonging to Majerkiewicz as well as on an electrical cord and an empty bottle of Lenor fabric conditioner.
All of this was evidence pointing to Majerkiewicz having been ‘the person responsible for killing and dismembering Stuart Everett’, Mr Pitter said.
Majerkiewicz denies murder and manslaughter.
The trial continues.
