A 15-year-old boy has been sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in prison for the murder of his 12-year-old friend, Roberts Buncis, in a brutal attack in Lincolnshire. Marcel Grzeszcz lured Roberts to a wooded area in Fishtoft, near Boston, on 12 December 2020, where he stabbed him more than 70 times and attempted to decapitate him.
During the trial at Lincoln Crown Court, Grzeszcz admitted manslaughter but denied murder, claiming the victim had brought the knife and that he lost control when Roberts tried to stab him. However, the jury rejected this argument, finding him guilty of murder and concluding he was motivated by anger.
Sentencing Grzeszcz, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker described the attack as 'savage and brutal', noting a significant degree of planning and premeditation. The judge stated that Grzeszcz arrived at the scene with a large knife and latex gloves, and that despite possibly not initially intending to kill, he ultimately intended to do so given the nature and number of injuries inflicted.
The judge lifted a reporting restriction that had previously prevented naming Grzeszcz, citing the principle of open justice. The court heard that Grzeszcz had a history of behavioural issues, including bringing a knife to his primary school and being excluded from high school for selling drugs.
In a victim impact statement read on behalf of Roberts's father, Edgars Buncis, he expressed profound grief, saying: 'How do I put into words how I feel? This is all wrong. No father should ever have to bury their son. Nothing is a reason for this. I have lost my destination and my purpose. My life is in a cemetery. I feel empty and nothing will change this.'
