Three builders have been given life sentences for the murder of William Saunderson-Smith, a multi-millionaire property developer. The 58-year-old was found dead in the attic bedroom of a house he was renovating in west London last October.
Slawomir Bugajewski, 39, and Dawid Rymar, 24, both of Acton, and Ireneusz Mydlarz, 37, of Edgware, were each ordered to serve a minimum of 30 years in prison. The men, all Polish nationals, had been employed by Mr Saunderson-Smith but were not working for him at the time of the killing.
The Old Bailey heard that the men beat their victim to death in an attempt to make him reveal where he kept his money. Although they stole £2,000, they missed £225,000 hidden in and around the bedroom, as well as £100,000 found at another of his properties in Fulham.
After the murder, the three men fled the UK but were arrested upon their return. Detective Inspector John Finch of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command said: 'As a result of a meticulous investigation we were able to identify and arrest the three builders, who had fled the UK with the £2,000 that they had stolen. They have been held to account for their despicable actions and will now face jail terms.'
