31/03/2004

Polish serial rapist receives life sentence for girl's murder

Polish-born Andrezej Kunowski has received a life sentence for murdering a 12-year-old girl at her west London home in 1997.

The 48-year-old from Acton in west London had denied the murder of schoolgirl Katerina Koneva, claiming that it had been a case of mistaken identity.

The 12-year-old girl was strangled when she returned home from school. Kunowski's fingerprints were found on the windowsill of the Koneva's house in London and his DNA was matched to a hair taken from clothing.

Sentencing Kunowski at the Old Bailey today Judge Peter Beaumont said that life in prison meant that he would never be released.

Police intend to question Kunowski about other unsolved cases and have described him as a "most dangerous sex offender".

When police apprehended him and charged him with the rape of a Korean student, Kunowski, who was living under an alias, had absconded bail in Poland where he was charged with raping a 10-year-old girl. He had previously served 10 years in Poland for a series of sex attacks on young girls and women, and was jailed last year in Britain for the rape of a 21-year Korean student in 2002.

Katerina's father described how he had met his daughter's killer outside the house. When he confronted him Kunowski ran off, so he gave chase.

When Katrina's father returned to their home he discovered the girl had been strangled by a cord tied around her neck.

The Old Bailey jurors heard how Kunowski had preyed on young girls, some by lying in wait for them as they returned home from school.

(SP)

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