Dad Denies Brutal Killing of Son in Edinburgh Flat
Father Lukasz Czapla Faces Murder Charges
Lukasz Czapla is in the dock accused of murdering his young son Julius in a chilling incident back in November 2020. He denies the horrific allegations that he shot Julius with a BB gun, stabbed him repeatedly with a skewer, and then suffocated him with a pillow. The terrifying crime allegedly happened on the night of November 20 or early hours of November 21.
Text Message Sparks Mum’s Worst Fears
Patrycja Szcześniak, Julius’ mother, grew suspicious after receiving a disturbing text from Czapla hinting that he planned to kill both himself and their son. “I knew he meant he would kill himself and Julius,” she told the court. Racing to the flat, she was horrified to see Czapla bloodied and staggering behind the door. Inside, she found her son’s lifeless body with his head covered in blood and his face blue. “I knew he was dead,” she said tearfully.
Dark Details Emerge in Court
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Julius was excited to visit his dad and even looked forward to pizza that night. The court was told the pair had an eight-year relationship and lived together with Julius until they split in the summer of 2020, following intense arguments during lockdown.
Patrycja said she never had safety concerns about Julius when he was with his dad. However, evidence revealed terrifying injuries: three steel ball bearings lodged in Julius’s head caused bleeding and a fractured skull. Further wounds from a BB gun and a fatal stab wound to the chest were found, alongside signs consistent with suffocation.
Drugs and Disturbing Past Behaviour
During searches of the flat, police found illegal drugs including LSD, ecstasy, cannabis, and mushrooms containing psilocin. The court also heard that Czapla, a former IT technician at Fife College in Dunfermline, had a history of drink and drug-driving offences, speeding, and crashing his car.
Czapla offered to plead guilty to a lesser charge of culpable homicide, claiming diminished responsibility, but the Crown rejected this. He continues to plead not guilty.
The trial, presided over by Lord Beckett, is ongoing.
