Fraudster who blew £200,000 life insurance payout that his dead wife had left for her son on luxury holidays and a hot tub with his new girlfriend is jailed for four years

• Krzysztof Baczynski got hold of the sum after wife Anna died in September 2017
• Money had been due to go to Anna's younger son when he turned 25

By Summer Goodkind[1]

Published: 16:30, 6 December 2023 | Updated: 17:02, 6 December 2023

A fraudster who spent GBP200,000 of his dead wife's life insurance payout on luxury holidays and a hot tub with his new girlfriend has been jailed for four years.

Krzysztof Baczynski managed to gain hold of the six-figure sum, initially meant for his wife Anna Miszczuk's son, after she died from cancer[2] in September 2017.

Less than a month after Mrs Miszczuk's death, Baczynski tricked her daughter, the trustee of her insurance policies, into signing the money over to him.

The money had been due to go to Mrs Miszczuk's younger son when he turned 25.

A court heard how Baczynski, 40, started using the money 'as if it was his own' and even spent the critical illness part of the payout while his wife was still alive.

Baczynski gave his step-children the impression he was taking care of the money, but he was actually spending it on holidays with his new partner.

He also invested in a shop and used some of the cash to prop up his failing business which was part of a cosmetics pyramid scheme.

Krzysztof Baczynski has been jailed for four years after he spent GBP200,000 of his dead wife's life insurance payout on luxury holidays and a hot tub with his new girlfriend

aczynski managed to gain hold of the six-figure sum, initially meant for his wife Anna Miszczuk's son, after she died from cancer in September 2017

Anna Miszczuk (pictured) died from cancer in September 2017, two months after being diagnosed

In the months after his wife's death, he and his new girlfriend jetted off to Tenerife, Moscow and Poland and even splashed out on a hot tub.

During this time, he brazenly took his step-children on holiday, pretending his flourishing business was paying for the trips.

A court heard he burned through his wife's entire GBP200,000 life insurance payout in just nine months.

He was caught after he took pictures of himself and his new partner 'living it up' at fancy restaurants and enjoying themselves in their hot tub.

Following a trial at Northampton Crown Court, Baczynski, of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, was found guilty of one count of fraud. He was cleared of another count of fraud by false representation.

He was jailed for four years on Monday and told he would be subject to a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing in a bid to claw back some of money.

His Honour Judge David Herbert KC said: 'The money was released into your account with the knowledge of your step-daughter.

'Both her and her brother were unaware that you began to spend the money in the way that you did.

'I am quite satisfied that it was Anna's wish that her son should receive all of that money.

Less than a month after Mrs Miszczuk's death, Baczynski tricked her daughter, the trustee of her insurance policies, into signing the money over to him

'The evidence in the trial was that money would be shared with his sister.'

Judge Herbert told Baczynski he spent the money 'as if it were his own', adding: 'Within nine months you had spent it all.'

He said: 'The jury heard how you spent it on various holidays around Europe, a car, investing significant sums of money in your business.

'You were also loaning sums of money to others. It's now all gone.

Anna's children were under the impression you were doing well in your business.

'You don't seem to be able to accept that was Anna's children's inheritance. It was her dying wish they received it to set them up for life.

'You agreed those wishes and failed to safeguard the money for her children and essentially squandered it on yourself.

'Your reckless attitude to the money is well summed-up by photographs of you living it up in restaurants and relaxing in hot-tubs with a girl with whom you were in a relationship at that time.

'You even gifted her some of the money. It's clear you have no idea how disgustingly you have behaved.

'You still persist in your claim you were going to repay the money.

I am quite satisfied you won't and never had any intention of doing so.

'Now, when the money is long-gone you have still done nothing to redress the position.'

In the months after his wife's death, he and his new girlfriend jetted off to Tenerife, Moscow and Poland and even splashed out on a hot tub

In a victim impact statement, Baczynski's step-daughter said his crime had left the family devastated.

She said: 'Had me and my brother received the payments, our financial situation would have been very different.

'We are currently in debt and our mother's death had a great effect on us. We were not able to pay the rent last month.

'I feel like my brother and I lost years of having kind of relationship with our father because of his poisoning of our minds.

'When my mother was dying she felt like her children were financially secure.

'This incident has taken over my life. I've been unable to forget about it.

It's been hard to put into words the gravity of the impact this has had.'

Catherine Rose, defending Baczynski, said: 'This was an opportunistic crime, once he had the money in his account.

'His only significant personal relationship is with his dog.'

References

1. ^ Summer Goodkind (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ cancer (www.dailymail.co.uk)