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| Buried alive case: Marcin Kasprzak guilty of murder bid | Buried alive case: Marcin Kasprzak guilty of murder bid |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A man has been found guilty of the attempted murder of his fiancee who he buried alive in a cardboard box. | A man has been found guilty of the attempted murder of his fiancee who he buried alive in a cardboard box. |
| Michelina Lewandowska, 27, escaped from the shallow grave in woods near Huddersfield, Leeds Crown Court heard. | Michelina Lewandowska, 27, escaped from the shallow grave in woods near Huddersfield, Leeds Crown Court heard. |
| She was put in the box by her partner, Marcin Kasprzak, 25, after he attacked her with a stun gun at their home in Penistone Road, Huddersfield on 28 May. | She was put in the box by her partner, Marcin Kasprzak, 25, after he attacked her with a stun gun at their home in Penistone Road, Huddersfield on 28 May. |
| Patryk Borys, 18, of Rashcliffe Hill Road, Huddersfield, was cleared of attempted murder. | Patryk Borys, 18, of Rashcliffe Hill Road, Huddersfield, was cleared of attempted murder. |
| Both men admitted kidnap at a previous hearing. Kasprzak also admitted possessing a prohibited weapon. | Both men admitted kidnap at a previous hearing. Kasprzak also admitted possessing a prohibited weapon. |
| Judge Peter Collier told them they would be sentenced on 13 January and ordered a report to be prepared on Borys. | Judge Peter Collier told them they would be sentenced on 13 January and ordered a report to be prepared on Borys. |
| In a statement read by a family liaison officer outside the court, Miss Lewandowska said: "During my time inside my shallow grave where I was buried alive, I feared that my life was at an end and I was going to die. | In a statement read by a family liaison officer outside the court, Miss Lewandowska said: "During my time inside my shallow grave where I was buried alive, I feared that my life was at an end and I was going to die. |
| "I prayed to God to help me to survive so that I could look after my young son. The thought of my son gave me the strength to fight my way out of the box and save myself. | "I prayed to God to help me to survive so that I could look after my young son. The thought of my son gave me the strength to fight my way out of the box and save myself. |
| "For many years I loved Marcin Kasprzak very much. But after his horrific attack upon me my feelings towards him have turned to hatred. | "For many years I loved Marcin Kasprzak very much. But after his horrific attack upon me my feelings towards him have turned to hatred. |
| "I still have nightmares that Marcin will come back to find me and kill me. My only hope is that he can accept that what he did to me was very wrong. | "I still have nightmares that Marcin will come back to find me and kill me. My only hope is that he can accept that what he did to me was very wrong. |
| "I really hope that no-one will ever experience what I went through on that day in May, at the hands of a man whom I loved and trusted." | "I really hope that no-one will ever experience what I went through on that day in May, at the hands of a man whom I loved and trusted." |
| The court heard Kasprzak attacked his fiancee at their home and bound and gagged her with tape because he was "bored" with her. | The court heard Kasprzak attacked his fiancee at their home and bound and gagged her with tape because he was "bored" with her. |
| Tree branch | |
| Their relationship had come to an end and he wanted custody of their three-year-old son, Jakub, the jury was told. | Their relationship had come to an end and he wanted custody of their three-year-old son, Jakub, the jury was told. |
| Miss Lewandowska escaped from the box despite it being covered in earth and a tree branch. | Miss Lewandowska escaped from the box despite it being covered in earth and a tree branch. |
| She used her engagement ring to cut herself free and pull the box apart then flagged down a passing motorist. | She used her engagement ring to cut herself free and pull the box apart then flagged down a passing motorist. |
| Kasprzak told the court he only meant to scare Miss Lewandowska and did not intend to kill her. | Kasprzak told the court he only meant to scare Miss Lewandowska and did not intend to kill her. |
| Borys did not give evidence. | Borys did not give evidence. |
| Speaking outside the court, Det Ch Insp Lisa Griffin said Miss Lewandowska had demonstrated "tremendous bravery". | |
| She said: "[She] undoubtedly saved her own life by freeing herself from box that Kasprzak had buried her in. | |
| "Now that Kasprzak has been found guilty for attempting to murder her, I hope that this brave woman will be able to move on with her life. | |
| "Kasprzak has shown himself to have been an unpleasant intimidator of vulnerable woman and I am pleased that he is now behind bars where he belongs." |