Sebastian Kalinowski: Step-father Andrezej Latoszewski takes stand in murder trial
Warning: This report contains descriptions of alleged child abuse.
A martial artist and body builder who has admitted killing his stepson by inflicting a series of beatings on him over the course of several weeks has told a jury he is "embarrassed" by his cruelty.
Sebastian Kalinowski, who was 15, died at his home in Leeds Road, Huddersfield, from infection caused by multiple untreated rib fractures on 13 August last year.
His mother, Agnieszka Kalinowska, and her partner, Andrezej Latoszewski, are standing trial at Leeds Crown Court accused of his murder.
They both deny the charge, but Latoszewski, 36, has admitted manslaughter while Kalinowska, 35, has pleaded guilty to child cruelty.
The jury has been shown footage of a number of incidents from CCTV cameras installed by the couple in their own home, the prosecution say to monitor Sebastian.
The court has already heard how Latoszewski, a steroid user, repeatedly punched and kicked Sebastian, and on occasion used a bed slat to beat him and an extension cable to whip him.
The teenager was often made to perform "drills", including hundreds of press-ups and sit-ups, as punishment, even when he was physically weak, the court has heard.
'I will never forgive myself'
On Thursday, 30 June, the prosecution finished their evidence and Latoszewski took the stand in his defence.
He was asked by defence barrister Nicholas Lumley QC whether he accepted being cruel to Sebastian.
Speaking through a Polish interpreter he said: "Yes, I accept that and feel really embarrassed about it."
Mr Lumley asked if he accepted causing Sebastian's death.
"Yes I accept it and will never forgive myself for it," he replied.
But asked if intended to kill him, Latoszewski replied: "No."
Referring to the CCTV footage, Mr Lumley said: "We've all seen that you were cruel to him in time, and you were mean to him. But let me ask you please about the violence. Do you accept that you were physically violent to Sebastian?"
The defendant said: "Yes, I accept it and I feel like utterly embarrassed about it, I can't even describe it."
He was asked: "When you punched Sebastian in the chest, as we've seen, time and time again, did you use all your strength?"
Latoszewski replied: "No I swear to god I tried to use as little force as possible."
He added: "I f***** it up and didn't want to use a significant force, no."
He also told the jury: "I swear to god I never wanted him to come to any serious harm and I didn't want him to die."
Sebastian, who was originally from Poland, attended North Huddersfield Trust school, where he was described as a "model pupil", the court has heard.
But, the court has been told, his mother and step-father claimed he needed punishment for lying and playing truant from school.
The trial continues.
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