Christmas killer jailed for Wakefield pensioner's one-punch doorstep death
He was left unconscious and then bundled back into his home before attacker fled
A pensioner died after being attacked on his own doorstep two days before Christmas when a hooded gang came to his home to demand money.
Stephen Jedynak, 72, was killed by a “powerful and devastating” single blow to the head by known drug dealer, Hamza Shafique.
Although he was able to eventually get to his feet, he was later found to have fatal brain injuries and died in hospital days later.
Shafique, 28, was jailed today for six years and three months after finally admitting a charge of manslaughter. Initially denying the offence, he changed his plea this afternoon on the day he was due to stand trial at Leeds Crown Court.
He had previously tried to claim it was self defence against the smaller, elderly victim.
Judge Andrew Stubbs KC told Shafique: “He was a frail 72-year-old man. You were 27, much younger and stronger. He posed no threat to you at all.
“You delivered a forceful blow.
“The court are familiar with the damage that can be caused with a single blow to the head and well aware of the risk such blows pose to the victim.”
The court heard that Shafique and a group of men, all dressed in dark clothing and with hoods up, arrived on Mr Jedynak’s street on Thorntree Court, Crofton, at around 5.50pm on December 23 in a Cupra Leon car.
They were there to collect a debt, possibly for drugs, prosecutor Ian Mullarkey suggested to the court.
Shafique went to the door of the bungalow, where Mr Jedynak lived alone, and spoke to the pensioner on the doorstep.
CCTV from a neighbouring property was played to the court in which Mr Jedynak could be heard swearing at Shafique and telling him to go away.
Shafique then lashed out with a single punch that sent the elderly man to the floor, unconscious.
The sickening sound of the punch connecting and Mr Jedynak falling to the floor could be clearly heard on the footage.
He stood looking at his lifeless body for a few seconds, then bundled Mr Jedynak’s limbs back into the property in order to close the door.
Shafique went back to the car and sent an associate back to the bungalow, who looked through the window and saw Mr Jedynak getting up, so they all left the scene.
Mr Mullarkey said: “He [Mr Jedynak] posed no real threat to the defendant who was a younger man and much fitter.
“He was at his home and had nowhere to retreat to. The defendant could, at any point, have walked away.
“It was plainly a powerful, devastating blow, delivered by the defendant. He plainly knew he had seriously injured Mr Jedynak.”
It was not until the next day, Christmas Eve, that Mr Jedynak’s sister-in-law found him on the sofa in his bungalow. He could barely communicate and was “very poorly”, Mr Mullarkey said.
He was taken to Pinderfields Hospital but died on December 27.
A postmortem found he had a fractured skull and significant hemorrhaging of the brain. It was consistent with being struck to the head.
Shafique, of Maidstone Street, Bradford, was arrested on January 8 and refused to answer police questions.
He was initially arrested on suspicion of murder and later charged with the lesser offence of manslaughter.
The court heard that he has a long criminal record, including violence and drug dealing - receiving a prison sentence in 2022 for his involvement in heroin and crack cocaine.
He was on licence at the time of the killing of Mr Jedynak.
Mitigating, Stephen Grattage said there had been no evidence it was a drug-related debt that Shafique had been sent to collect.
He added: “He did not set out to kill anyone or cause any serious harm.
“His senseless act, born from momentary anger, took the life of Mr Jedynak. He is sorry for that.”
Shafique was told he must serve at least two thirds of his sentence, rather than be released on licence at the usual half-way stage, or even earlier.