Hornchurch man guilty of killing wealthy property owner
Milton Papadopoulos - Credit: Hertfordshire Police
A gang of robbers have been found guilty of killing a wealthy property owner for his £25,000 Rolex on the first anniversary of his death.
Arkadiusz Szarkowski of Abbs Cross Gardens, Hornchurch was among three men who targeted recluse Milton Papadopoulos, 41, over large sums of cash he stashed in his house to pay for escort girls.
Posing as builders they knocked on his door, burst in and handcuffed his wrists and ankles.
The victim’s neighbour in Potters Bar, Herts, described his screams as “like something out of a horror movie” but didn’t call the police.
Mr Papadopoulos was found two days later when his sister visited the Parkfield View house. His £24,700 Rolex watch was missing.
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Sebastian Oskar Kimel, 40, was convicted of murder at the Old Bailey today. Krzysztof Kasza and Arkadiusz Szarkowski, both 42, were found guilty of manslaughter.
A fourth suspect, Wojciech Ryniak, was murdered in Barton, Oxford, in April.
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Mr Papadopoulos earned about £8,000 a month from rental properties and had other business ventures.
He began taking cocaine, gambling online and paying for escorts after his relationship broke up.
The owner of an escort business had told Szarkowski that Mr Papadopoulos stashed cash at his home for payment.
Kimel claimed he was there to collect a debt and blamed Ryniak for the killing. He and Szarkowski denied knowledge of a plan to rob the victim or cause him harm.
Kasza said the plan was to steal Mr Papadopoulos’ money while he was out.
Kimel, of Beechcroft, Streatham, denied and was convicted of murder and conspiracy to rob having already admitted conspiracy to falsely imprison.
Kasza, of Imperial Road, Wood Green and Szarkowski were acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter, conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to falsely imprison.
They will be sentenced on Friday.
