Jersey murders: first postmortem completed

Suspect remains under guard in St Helier hospital as pathologist confirms female victim died of stab wounds The man suspected of stabbing to death six people, including his wife and two young children, remained under police guard in hospital in Jersey as the first postmortem was completed. The 30-year-old, named as Damian Rzeszowski, who is believed to have been distressed over the breakdown of his marriage, has been formally arrested after undergoing surgery for knife wounds, understood to be self-inflicted. He is under armed guard in the General Hospital in St Helier, where he is heavily sedated and said to be in a stable condition, A postmortem by a Home Office pathologist on one of the female victims confirmed cause of death as multiple stab wounds. All the victims were of Polish origin. His wife, named as Izabela Rzeszowska, 30, is believed to be among his victims, along with their daughter, Kinga, five, and son Kasper, 18 months, and her father Marek Garstki, 55, who lived with the couple. Her friend, named as Marta de la Haye, who is believed to have worked in a care home, and her five-year-old daughter Julia, were also said to be among the victims and were visiting the family for the afternoon. At the flat of her husband, Craig de la Haye, a relative, said there was no comment. The bodies of two victims, who were pronounced dead at the scene, were being removed from the couple’s flat in Victoria Crescent, St Helier, today. Witnesses said that the row that led to the frenzied stabbings may have started at a family barbecue on Sunday afternoon. A large covered the back garden. One neighbour who called police, told the Jersey Evening Post that he heard trouble outside his window and looked out to see a man brandishing a knife. “I just heard screaming and looked out of the window and he came out of nowhere. He had an 18-inch knife and he just went for her while she was shouting for help. “She was backing off, and he started slashing with the knife,” said the witness, who asked to remain anonymous. “The woman was covered in blood but she never ran away. It was just mayhem and like watching a film in slow motion.” Friends said the couple, who are thought to have just returned from a trip to Poland, had been having relationship problems. There were unconfirmed reports Rzeszowski had taken an overdose and had attempted suicide four weeks ago, Former workmates of Rzeszowski said he has lived in Jersey for at least 10 years, and worked as a block layer on building sites. A former work colleague told the Post: “He worked very hard to support his family and was a very reliable guy. I would often see him in the supermarket with his kids. This has come as a huge shock to everyone.” He was described as a man who “did everything for his family”. Jersey police said the remaining postmortems would be carried out in the next few days. Forensic examination of the scene, at a flat in a secluded road in central St Helier, is ongoing. Family liaison officers, supported by Polish-speaking officers and staff, were supporting the two families. Police and paramedics who witnessed the terrible aftermath of the stabbings, were being offered psychological support. “It is an extremely complex investigation, involving two young families and, inevitably, impacting on a whole community, and our inquiry continues to establish exactly what happened on that fateful afternoon last weekend,” said Detective Superintendent Stewart Gull, who is leading the murder investigation. Crime Jersey Caroline Davies guardian.co.uk

Posted by on August 16, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.