Man cleared of West Bromwich nightclub murder
A man has been found not guilty of forcing a nightclubgoer down a set of stairs to his death.
Krysztof Kowalski was accused of killing Daniel Pelechacz, who suffered a fractured skull at the Klimat nightclub in West Bromwich, but was cleared of murder and manslaughter by a jury after around two hours of deliberation.
The 38-year-old, of Greets Green Road, West Bromwich, broke down in the dock at Wolverhampton Court after the jury delivered its verdict.
It was alleged that Kowalski kneed the victim in the back and pushed him down the stairs at the club during a melee.
Bouncers were in the process of ejecting Mr Pelechacz from the club before he was attacked, it was said.
Kowalski was picked out at an identity parade. However, there was no CCTV footage from inside the club the night Mr Pelechacz died on September 30, 2018, and the focus of the trial became whether another man, similar in appearance to Kowalski, could have been responsible for the killing.
Close-up pictures of the two men, both bald and stocky, were produced by the defence and given to the jury.
There were also tears in the public gallery from family and friends of the defendant, who thanked the judge and jury for "trying me fairly".
Judge Amjad Nawaz said: "This has no reflection on Daniel. This is a tragic case for everyone concerned."
During the trial, Kowalski had told the court he had no involvement in the killing.
He insisted the police had got the wrong man and that another man had forced the victim to his death.
He said through an interpreter: "He grabbed him from behind. He kept pushing him towards the exit with all his force.
"When Daniel grabbed him by the belt he got upset and kneed him in the back."
