Murder victim’s family demands migrant checks

Rafal Nowak, 31, spent months plotting with his secret mistress and her uncle the death of his girlfriend Catherine Wells-Burr, 23, so he could benefit from her £123,000 life insurance.

He was convicted of the business analyst’s murder at Bristol Crown Court yesterday, together with lover Anna Lagwinowicz, 32, and her doting uncle Tadevsz Dmytryszyn, 38.

The three defendants remained emotionless as the verdicts were returned, following seven weeks of evidence.

Speaking after the hearing, Phil and Jayne Wells-Burr said Nowak would not have been allowed into the UK if the country had tougher immigration laws.

The factory worker was convicted in his homeland for assaulting his wife – whom he abandoned with their now teenage son in 2008 – to move to the UK to earn money to pay off a £6,500 debt following a drink-drive crash.

Mrs Wells-Burr, 46, said: “There is no screening of people coming into this country. We didn’t know that Rafal had had an assault charge on him while back in Poland.

“I kind of think this Government needs to wake up a bit.”

Mr Wells-Burr, 48, added: “That is what we need in this country now.”

Mr and Mrs Wells-Burr, who are separated, said Nowak would not commit himself to a family holiday to Florida – as he had a criminal record they knew nothing about.

The parents, who wore teal ribbons to court every day of the trial in memory of their eldest daughter, loudly wept with family and friends as the verdicts were read.

Burly and heavily-tattooed Nowak killed Miss Wells-Burr as she slept in bed at their new two-bedroom home in Chard in Somerset on September 12.

The factory worker had meticulously planned the murder with jealous Lagwinowicz and Dmytryszyn, who helped remove Miss Wells-Burr’s body from the house.

She was then driven to a roadside at Ashill, near Chard, where she was placed in the driver’s seat before the vehicle was set on fire at 6am – 20 minutes after Nowak clocked into work at Numatic International, makers of Henry vacuum cleaners.

Nowak and Lagwinowicz, who had been in a two-year relationship, met for sex and to plot the case on up to 87 occasions and exchanged hundreds of phone calls on pre-paid SIM cards.

The secret lovers planned to start a new life together without Miss Wells-Burr, having pocketing her £123,000 life insurance and half share of the £137,000 house.

They spent months leaving a false trail for detectives, creating fake profiles for the Bath Spa University graduate on adult websites and sending texts to her phone from a supposedly mystery lover.

Speaking afterwards Mrs Wells-Burr said the trashing of their innocent daughter’s impeccable character proved how “calculating” they were.

She said: “The hatred shown to her has truly shocked us, especially the hatred shown by Rafal Nowak, a man who was meant to have loved her.

“His betrayal to our family has devastated us. We treated him like a son and family member.

“Anna Lagwinowicz has been devious, manipulative and calculating, her actions to create such sickening false profiles of Catherine demonstrate this and as a result these evil people have made us question our judge of character and trust in people - we trust no-one.

“Our world as we knew it has fallen apart. Our lives used to be fun, full of laughter and love. We can see no future without our beautiful Catherine. We are heartbroken. No prison sentence will ever be enough.

The three will be sentenced on Monday by Mrs Justice Sharp.