Anthony Clarke guilty of murdering Monika Szmecht

1:00pm Thursday 1st May 2008

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A FORMER soldier has today been convicted of the gruesome fireball murder of Monika Szmecht and now faces a life sentence behind bars.

A jury of four men and seven women at Liverpool Crown Court today found Anthony Clarke (27) guilty of repeatedly stabbing the attractive Polish waitress before setting her on fire at a remote farm track off Blindfoot Lane, Rainford, on the evening of Monday, June 11 last year.

During the four-week trial, the court heard how Clarke, of Halsey Crescent, West Derby, had locked his ex-girlfriend Monika (20) in a cage in his white Vauxhall combi van after she threatened to press assault charges against him unless he gave her £1,000.

After trapping her in the van for nearly four hours, he then drove her to a dirt track in Rainford, stabbed her, poured petrol over her, set her alight and left her for dead.

Horrified residents, who came to Monika's aid when she staggered 150-yards to a cottage to seek help, described how she had desperately cried out while lying in agony on a driveway.

Remarkably, Monika, who was left suffering from six stab wounds and appalling 90 per cent burns, survived for several hours before finally succumbing to the horrific injuries.

She died at Whiston Hospital at around 11.30pm that night and when details of the horrendous crime emerged the next day villagers in Rainford and townsfolk were deeply shocked.

Prosecutors told the court how on the following day, June 12, Clarke, who ran a taxi business at Village Tyres in Walton, turned up at work at about 9am and told his uncle David to jet-wash his van inside and out.

He also called in a CCTV engineer to delete several thousand video files from the Village Tyres computer.

Before his arrest at around 10.30pm that night, both of his uncles, David and Tony, claimed he had confessed to Monika's murder.

However, when Clarke was interviewed by police he declined to answer any questions and instead issued a prepared statement via his solicitor.

Police later arrested Clarke's best friend Philip Savin (29), of Chester Avenue, Bootle, and his uncle David Clarke (46), of Walton Village, on suspicion of Monika's murder.

But in a dramatic twist on the first day of the trial, both Savin and David Clarke agreed to give evidence for the prosecution after pleading guilty to lesser charges.

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The evidence that stacked up against the killer

While giving evidence, Savin described how Clarke had asked one of his colleagues to fetch a can of petrol for him on the afternoon of June 11, before threatening to burn Monika's house down and driving off with her in the back of his van.

David Clarke then told the court that giving evidence against his nephew was the hardest thing' he had ever had to do.

He explained how Clarke had told him he had murdered Monika but had then threatened to put a bullet in his head' if he told anyone.

Andrew Menary QC, prosecuting, also called on several expert witnesses to bolster the case against Clarke.

An expert videotape enhancer was employed to improve CCTV stills taken at Windle Island on the East Lancs shortly after 8pm on June 11.

A white Vauxhall combi van captured on the images was described by police as being similar in every way' to Clarke's vehicle.

Clarke denied it was his.

The jury were also shown telephone records taken from the defendant's mobile phone which indicated his possible movements on the day Monika was killed.

Telecommunications expert John Tarpey explained that the records clearly showed Clarke's mobile phone signal had moved from Walton Village towards the East Lancs Road at Kirkby shortly before 6pm on June 11.

Minutes later, Clarke's mobile was pinpointed to Knowsley before travelling south, probably on the M57, towards Rainhill and the M62.

Mr Tarpey confirmed that from around 6.15pm to 9.15pm all calls to Clarke's mobile were redirected to answerphone, which indicated that his mobile had been switched off.

The next recorded call on Clarke's mobile, at 9.19pm, was made from Bootle, North Liverpool. Clarke claimed the phone was not in his possession at the time.

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Clarke claimed to be walking his Rottweilers in Liverpool as Monika was murdered

While giving evidence in his defence, Clarke claimed Savin and David Clarke had conspired against him while sharing a cell in the build-up to the trial.

He admitted meeting Monika on the afternoon of June 11 to give her £1,000, but claimed he then dropped her off at a supermarket and never saw her again.

He said he was out walking his two Rottweiler dogs in West Derby at the time Monika was killed. However, in cross examination, Clarke admitted he had lied repeatedly in the prepared statement he had initially issued to police.

It was also revealed that Clarke had not served a defence statement, indicating his alibi to the prosecution, until just days before the start of the trial - despite being prompted last August.

Clarke is due to be sentenced tomorrow at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday. Savin and David Clarke will also be sentenced for kidnap, making threats and assisting an offender.

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'Brutal and tragic'

DCI Mark Dale, from Merseyside Police, said the murder had been a "truly brutal and tragic end to a young life".

He added: "I would like to thank my team for their hard work in this investigation, and Monika's family for their support throughout.

"My thoughts are now with the family and I hope that the conclusion of this trial can give them a small element of closure and allow them to start the process of coming to terms with their devastating loss."