Women tortured vulnerable man to death after falsely accusing him of being a paedophile
Zoe Rider and Nicola Lethbridge filmed and tortured Stephen Koszyczarski, who was described as having a ‘heart of gold’
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Two women filmed themselves torturing a vulnerable man to death after falsely accusing him of being a paedophile.
Zoe Rider, 36, and Nicola Lethbridge, 45, attacked their 60-year-old neighbour Stephen Koszyczarski in his Sheffield flat, recording their sadistic, drug-fuelled torture.
They exposed his genitals, threatened to mutilate him and left him with 22 separate injuries. The court heard how Mr Koszyczarski lived alone and had a mild learning disability as well as numerous medical issues.
Lethbridge sobbed on Wednesday as Judge Sarah Wright told Sheffield Crown Court how the pair humiliated and terrified Mr Koszyczarski on August 9, last year.
He died from his injuries two days later.
Judge Wright said: “You were both clearly fuelled by drugs and probably alcohol.
“Having heard the evidence in the case I have absolutely no doubt that you went into Stephen’s flat together in order to threaten, attack and rob him, no doubt to finance further drug taking.
“For whatever reason, during the course of that robbery, you decided jointly to accuse Stephen completely spuriously and without any reason to do so of being a paedophile.”
She told them: “You set about him in the most brutal, heartless and despicable manner.
“You launched a vicious and extremely violent joint attack upon him.
“You exposed his genitals, threatened to mutilate him and shouted obscenities at him.
“You singularly failed to listen to his denials of the accusation or to offer him any compassion when he was clearly injured.”
The judge said: “The purpose of your attack was to steal from him and to humiliate, terrify and hurt him.
“You left him clearly disorientated, injured and bleeding with 22 separate injuries about his face, head and body.”
The court was read a statement by Mr Koszyczarski’s close friend Mary Jones, which said: “I cry most days and most nights. He was such a special man. He would help anybody. He had a heart of gold, and I will forever miss his visits to my house.
“Just why these people are so bad and why they did the things they did to him, why have they murdered him when he should still be alive and enjoying his life will always be a question I won’t get the answer to.”
Rider and Lethbridge, both of Fraser Drive, Woodseats, Sheffield, were found guilty of murder and robbery earlier this year.
They were each jailed for 13 years for the robbery of Mr Koszyczarski, to run concurrently with their life terms.
Jurors at the trial were shown the harrowing footage shot by Rider and Lethbridge, which included them threatening to mutilate Mr Koszyczarski with scissors.
At one point he pleads with them to stop and one of the defendants replies: “Do you think I give a f***?”
Eventually he used a call line to summon an ambulance as the pair left him fatally injured.
The jury was told Mr Koszyczarski died from a blunt-force force injury to his head which caused a bleed on his brain.
Among the many other injuries he suffered was bruising to his chest caused by kicks.
Prosecutors described the attack as “sadistic”.
Judge Wright said that Mr Koszyczarski changed in the weeks before his death, becoming uncharacteristically short of money, as well as “unkempt and wary”.
She said: “He was visibly troubled and scared.
“Having heard the evidence of his rapid decline, I have no doubt that you Zoe Rider had targeted him as someone you could exploit and had gone on to do so and that you Nicola Lethbridge had indulged in loud and intimidating behaviour towards Stephen, keeping Stephen awake and frightening him.”
South Yorkshire Police’s investigation found there was no foundation at all for the defendants’ claims about Mr Koszyczarski.
Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Woodward said: “Stephen was described as a quiet man.
“Although he had a close circle of friends, he kept himself to himself and just went about his business. His death was truly callous.
“Miss Lethbridge and Miss Rider, who were the neighbours of Stephen at the time, bullied, intimidated, and attacked him in his own home in the most humiliating way, whilst filming the attack.
“Although the guilty verdicts bring comfort that justice has been served, this remains a sad day because it is another reminder for everyone how violence can end a life too soon, which impacts greatly on all those involved, and leaves family and friends with pain and holes in their lives.”
Both women have both been told they will serve at least 26 years in prison.