Gloucester man found guilty of murder in Bedford Street flat
Kane Kotwica, 39, had pleaded not guilty to the killing of Matthew Cainey
A man from Gloucester has been found guilty of killing another man in a flat on Bedford Street earlier this year.
39 year old Kane Kotwica was convicted at Bristol Crown Court today (December 5) of the murder of 53-year-old Matthew Cainey on the morning of the 28th of May.
Kotwica was found not guilty of the attempted murders of the two other men, but found guilty of two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent.
He had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article but had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Cainey and the attempted murder of two other men.
The court heard that Kotwica had been in the flat with Mr Cainey, two other men and two women.
Kotwica and one of the men began to argue and, when Kotwica grabbed a knife from the kitchen and threatened the man with it, it was taken from him by one of the women and he was told to leave.
He remained in the area for nearly an hour and a half, walking the streets surrounding the address, before returning to the flat, armed with a knife concealed in the pocket of his hoody.
After being let into the property, Kotwica stabbed Matthew Cainey once in the chest as he stood in the hallway, this wound proved to be fatal.
Two other men tried to restrain Kotwica during the incident, sustaining serious injuries in the process.
One man was stabbed in the chest, requiring life-saving surgery, while the other suffered a significant wound to his neck.
The incident was captured on a doorbell camera from a neighbouring flat, and the jury was shown the moment that Kotwica attacked the victims
After fleeing the property, Kotwica threw the knife down a drain—an act captured on CCTV. Armed officers arrested him nearby, and the weapon was recovered.
A Major Crime Investigation Team inquiry led to Kotwica being charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder.
During the trial, Kotwica denied the charges, claiming self-defence, but a jury unanimously found him guilty of Mr Cainey’s murder.
Detective Inspector Adam Stacey of the Major Crime Investigation Team, who led the investigation, said:
He said: "Kane Kotwica is a very dangerous and violent individual whose pre-meditated cowardly attack has robbed a family of their loved one and caused serious injury to two others.
"My thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of Matthew, who have shown incredible dignity throughout all of this, not least in court when listening to Kotwica's evidence.
"It has been an incredibly traumatic and upsetting time for them so I hope that today's verdict brings them some comfort."
Following the verdicts, Matthew's family said:
"As a family we are heartbroken that this has happened. This is not how any life should end.
"Dad was always such a happy and cheeky man who loved his family and friends so much. He was always there for the people he cared about, and that showed when his friends were there for him during the trial.
"We would like to say thank you to everyone at Gloucestershire Constabulary that have worked on this case. You’ve all been incredible and got the outcome that's deserved."