Life For Burton Suitcase Murderer

A 29-year-old man has been given a life sentence after being found guilty of murdering his housemate and disposing of her body in a suitcase.

Tomasz Sobczak is said to have searched the internet for details on 'how to strangle a human being' in the hours before Sylwia Ciapcinska was last seen.

The 24-year-old university graduate was captured on CCTV shopping in Burton-on-Trent on July 20 last year. Her body was found inside her black suitcase, which had been dumped near a river in the Washlands area of Burton, nearly two months later, on September 17.

Ms Ciapcinska, a Polish national known to her family and friends as Magda, had been living in the UK for less than a month when she was killed.

Sobczak, also from Poland, was charged with murder on August 5, before his housemate's body was found. He denied murder but was found guilty by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday. The factory worker was jailed for life, with a minimum term of 20 years.

Family: 'No Adequate Punishment'

The family of Sylwia 'Magda' Ciapcinska said 'It is impossible to put into words the loss we feel. Life feels pointless without Magda.'

They described her as 'gorgeous, healthy, clever and well-educated' and went to England so she could improve her life and fulfil her dreams but instead 'met a murderer on her path.'

They went on to say:

"We cannot understand what kind of human being Sobczak must be to take Magda's right to life away - and in such a cruel way. There is no adequate punishment. We hope Sobczak understands the pain he has caused us.

"We wish to thank the police and the jury for the way we have been looked after."