I played no part in West Bromwich nightclub murder, accused tells jury
A man accused of forcing a nightclub-goer down a set of stairs to his death has told a jury he was not involved in the killing.
Krysztof Kowalski insisted the police had got the wrong man and it was in fact his friend who had kneed and pushed Daniel Pelechacz down the stairs at Klimat nightclub in West Bromwich.
Mr Pelechacz, 38, suffered a fractured skull and later died in hospital. Kowalski, 38, of Greets Green, West Bromwich, denies murder and manslaughter.
The focus of the trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court is whether it was Kowalski or his friend and work colleague Adam Bukowski who was responsible for sending the victim to his death.
Kowalski was picked out at an identity parade but the defence counsel has claimed Mr Bukowski is similar to him in appearance.
The jury has also been told Mr Bukowski, who was arrested in connection with the murder before being eliminated from the investigation, was convicted of battery four months before the attack for beating up a nightclub customer, whereas Kowalski has no previous convictions.
There was no CCTV footage from inside the club the night Mr Pelechacz died, September 30, 2018.
Giving evidence through an interpreter, Kowalski told the court how Mr Bukowski got involved when Mr Pelechacz was being thrown out the club.
He said: "He grabbed him from behind. He kept pushing him towards the exit with all his force.
"When Daniel grabbed him by the belt Adam got upset and kneed him in the back."
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He added: "I saw this man (Mr Pelechacz) going down."
Kowalski claimed he didn't speak out against Mr Bukowski as he was scared of him. He said his friend had asked him to provide him with an alibi.
But Mr David Mason, prosecuting, produced pictures of the pair socialising on two occasions, including at a barbecue in Mr Bukowski's garden.
Mr Mason said: "I suggest you were pretty good friends with Mr Bukowski, weren't you? I suggest you're not frightened of him at all."
Kowalski replied: "That's not true."
The accused initially told police he had not seen anything happen inside the club but when arrested for a second time in September 2019 pointed the finger at Mr Bukowski.
Mr Mason said: "I suggest to you that you knew the game was up at that stage. You had to blame Adam Bukowski because you knew there was a risk if you didn't you would be convicted of killing Daniel.
"You know Adam Bukowski looks like you. You knew you were with him that night. You were wearing similar clothes."
Kowalski replied: "No, that's not true."
The trial continues.
