Racist battered homeless man to death because he was Polish

Grant Harding – life imprisonment for the murder of a homeless Pole — Grant Harding told a friend he was going to “get out of his mind”, “hit somebody” and probably “land up in jail”. (SWNS)

A racist who beat to death a homeless man lying in his sleeping bag because he was Polish has been sentenced to life in prison.

Grant Harding, 30, punched, kicked and stomped on Robert Jadecki, 44, in an “animal, brutal and vicious” attack in Northampton in the early hours of June 16 last year.

A court heard he launched the unprovoked attack after offering Mr Jadecki a drink as he sat outside a shop hearing his Polish accent.

Witnesses said Harding used a barrage of racial slurs at Mr Jecki before beating him to death while shouting he was going to “kill” him.

The victim was taken to Coventry University Hospital with serious injuries but died later that day. Harding was arrested nearby after being pursued and arrested by a member of the public.

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General view of Northampton Crown and County Court as HMP Onley Governor Victoria Laithwaite is convicted of whatsapping an inmate. Picture date: Monday February 7, 2022. (Photo by Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images) — Harding, 30, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 27 years at Northampton Crown Court. (Getty Images)

Harding was found guilty of murder after a trial at Northampton Crown Court and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 27 years on Friday.

Judge Adrienne Lucking said the conviction reflected the racial motivation behind the attack. She added: “The final moments of Robert Jadecki’s conscious life have been filled with pain and fear.

“You have chosen to put yourself in this violent state of mind. They pose a very real risk of committing more serious crimes.”

The court heard Harding finish work that day, go to the pub and tell a friend he was going to “get out of his head”, “beat someone” and probably “land up in jail”.

Prosecutor Karim Khalil said the defendant “knew what he was likely to do that night, using alcohol and drugs, but continued to do it anyway”.

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Grant Harding. A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 27 years in prison for the murder of Robert Jadecki. See SWNS story SWMRthug. In the early hours of June 16, 2021, homeless Robert, 44, was asleep on Hester Street in Northampton when Grant Richard Harding, previously of Northampton, launched a violent and unprovoked attack on him. During the attack, Harding punched, kicked, and stomped on Robert while verbally abusing him. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries but sadly died later in the day just after 9.30pm. Emergency services were called and Harding, who was being pursued and arrested by a member of the public, was arrested and subsequently charged with murder. After a trial at Northampton Crown Court in August this year, Harding was found guilty by the jury of the murder of Robert and was sentenced in the same court today (December 16) to life in prison and must serve a minimum of 27 years. In her remarks, Judge Lucking confirmed that the verdict reflected the fact that the attack was racially motivated because Robert was a Pole. — The court heard Harding’s attitude suddenly change when he realized Mr Jadecki was a Pole. (SWNS)

By midnight, Harding, heavily intoxicated on alcohol and cocaine, went to the Co-op store, where he saw the “defenseless” Mr. Jedecki in his sleeping bag.

Detective Sergeant Robert Gray described Mr Jadecki as a “gentle man who was well respected in the local community”.

“Being homeless doesn’t make Robert’s death less important than anyone else’s and we want to reiterate that point,” he added.

Mr Jadecki was also known and loved at Northampton’s Hope Center – a day center for the homeless, vulnerable and disadvantaged.

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A spokesman for the center said: “His senseless, tragic death has shocked us all, not least in terms of the way it happened, but mostly because everyone who knew Robert felt warmth for him. He had an endearing, endearing side to him that almost everyone has answers to.

“His death underscores once again the terrible risks people face on the streets and I’m delighted that we, in collaboration with other agencies, have seen almost all people get off the streets with poor sleep.

“Every day people like Robert experience prejudice, hatred, contempt and abuse. Society needs to care more about people like Robert and protect them from the violence and anger they face.”