Killer who claimed ADHD caused him kill man at Peterborough Snapchat party is found guilty of murder

Bradley Plavecz claimed his ADHD caused him to lose control during a fight at a party in Peterborough Credit: Cambridgeshire Police

A killer who stabbed a man at a party in Peterborough and tried to blame it on his ADHD has been found guilty of murder.

Bradley Plavecz, 21, admitted stabbing Daniel Szalasny, 22, at a "Snapchat party" in Crown Street in May last year.

Plavecz denied he intended to kill, instead claiming the behavioural condition attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) caused him to "lose it".

But a jury at Peterborough Crown Court rejected his defence, finding Plavecz, of Arkwright Way in Gunthorpe in the city, guilty of murder. He will be sentenced on 27 January.

The court heard how the party, organised on the social media app Snapchat, had got out of control, with Plavecz and Mr Szalasny stepping in to try to break up a brawl.

However, the pair began fighting themselves with Mr Szalasny punching Plavecz, who retaliated by pulling out a knife.

Daniel Szalasny, 22, suffered six stabs wounds during the fight in May 2021 Credit: Cambridgeshire Police

Mr Szalasny was stabbed six times and died of a single wound to his chest which pierced his heart.

Following a lengthy manhunt, Plavecz handed himself in to police and was charged with murder.

In court, he denied the charge, claiming his ADHD substantially impacted his ability to exercise self-control.

'He had his whole life ahead of him'

Following the court case, Mr Szalasny's family paid tribute to him describing him as a "very cheerful person, no matter what".

They said he always had a smile on his face and he would help anyone in need.

In the statement the family said: “He had his whole life ahead of him and was taken from us – our son, baby brother and uncle – changing our lives forever, leaving emptiness that can’t be filled.

"There is not a day that we don’t think about Daniel and the pain after losing him doesn’t get any weaker, there is no way to describe how devastated we are.

“It tears us apart that we will never see him starting his own family, enjoying his life, and sharing that with us. Without a reason we have been sentenced to a lifetime of emptiness.”

Cambridgeshire Police described it as "another tragic case" of a young life lost to knife crime.

They have urged people help prevent other lives being lost by reporting information about people who carry knives or weapons.