Man killed boyfriend at Solihull home with 'Kung Fu chokehold' he learnt from movie

A man killed his boyfriend during a drink-fuelled row with a chokehold he picked up from a Kung Fu movie.

Slawomir Tumilowicz strangled 38-year-old Rafal Duszyca from behind in the room they shared at an address in Chelmar Close, Smith's Wood, Solihull shortly after midnight on July 1, 2022.He then delayed calling emergency services for 24 minutes claiming he tried to revive his partner himself.

It was revealed Tumilowicz had used the same manoeuvre on Mr Duszyca during an incident in March that year prompting the victim to text him afterwards saying 'you almost killed me'.Tumoliwicz, aged 39, admitted manslaughter.

At Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, he was jailed for nine years.

Summarising the case Judge Francis Laird KC stated 'the relationship was volatile and you both drank heavy' with neighbours describing 'frequent heated arguments between the two of you that usually occurred late at night'.Their landlord had gone into their room due to a commotion in early March, 2022.

Judge Laird said: "He saw you perform a chokehold on Rafal. Both of you were lying on the floor with you more upright and him lying on top of you with his back turned to you."Your arms were crossed one over the other. Following this incident there was an exchange of messages between you in which Rafal complained of almost being killed in the incident."At 11.43pm on June 30 that year a neighbour heard a loud argument including someone saying '**** ***, get the **** off me', before the row 'ended abruptly'.

Then at 12.11am Tumilowicz called emergency services and said Mr Duszyca was not breathing.

Paramedics arrived to find the victim had died and that his face, head and neck were purple.Tumilowicz gave a number of explanations as to what supposedly happened.

He told the call handlers and paramedics there had been an argument and he pushed his partner who fell over.

But to the police he initially denied there was a fight.Then in his interview he claimed Mr Duszyca was shouting at him and went to hit him so he took hold of him to calm him down before the victim stood up 'went dizzy and fainted'.

Pathologist Alexander Kolar concluded the cause of death was applying pressure to the neck as well as coronary heart disease.He stated there would had to have been at least 15 to 30 seconds of pressure, if not 'minutes of sustained pressure', to Mr Duszyca's neck to develop the signs of asphyxia that he showed.Ultimately Tumoliwicz accepted he had placed him in a chokehold similar to the one he was witnessed carrying out previously.

Prosecutor Sandip Patel KC had said: "In March the defendant used some form of chokehold. In interview he was asked about this and he says 'I got the idea from a Kung Fu movie, that's why I used it'."

Judge Laird said: "It must have been obvious to you or it should have been obvious that to place someone in a chokehold for a minimum of 15 to 30 seconds applying significant pressure carried with it a high risk."Brian St. Louis KC, defending, argued Tumoliwicz did not intend to kill or even cause really serious harm to Mr Duszyca adding that he immediately showed remorse at the scene by saying 'that's really sad', when it was confirmed he had died.He added his client had completed a number of qualifications whilst in custody so he could obtain work when he is eventually released, no less than two thirds the way through the nine-year sentence.