man denies involvement in burglary at jewellers’

A MAN accused of being involved in a burglary at premises owned by murdered Suffolk jeweller Peter Avis has told a court of his anger when two men who had been involved in the break-in put bags of stolen silverware in his car.

Pawel Borowiecki, 30, told a jury at Ipswich Crown Court he was immediately suspicious when he picked up Ireneusz Melanuik and Kamel Kita in Bury St Edmunds town centre.

He said he saw the bags and thought the contents could have been stolen from a house or a shop.

Borowiecki said that, after briefly looking at what was in the bags, he told Melanuik and Kita that he was not driving the car as he did not want to be held responsible if they were stopped by the police.

Asked by his barrister, Adam Budworth, if he had asked the men where the items had come from Borowiecki said: “No. I was very angry at that point.”

Borowiecki, of London, and Aleksandra Karpiuk, 27, of Lake Avenue, Bury St Edmunds, have denied conspiring to burgle Mr Avis’s premises in Abbeygate Street, Bury St Edmunds in January.

Karpiuk has also denied an offence of assisting an offender by driving 28-year-old Melanuik, who has admitted murdering Mr Avis, to Stansted Airport after the killing.

The court has heard that the body of 66-year-old Mr Avis was found in his flat above Collis & Son jewellers on January 13.

He had been stabbed 13 times and hit over the head with a glass ashtray. His shop and flat had been ransacked and silverware and jewellery had been stolen.

The court has heard that, in addition to admitting murdering Mr Avis, Melanuik, of no fixed address, had admitted stealing jewellery during a burglary at Mr Avis’s flat.

Kita, 20, of no fixed address, has admitted burglary at the premises and another defendant, Pawel Pacian, 34, of Lake Avenue, Bury St Edmunds, has admitted handling stolen goods in relation to the incident.

The trial continues today.