Gary Piatek murdered for home and life savings, court hears

A 60-year-old retiree who disappeared more than two years ago was murdered by a man who then took his life savings and renovated his home, a court has heard.

Ibrahim Yosif, 44, is accused of killing Gary Piatek, who disappeared on 18 April 2024 after going drinking in Leicester, before moving his family into the missing man’s home.

Leicester Crown Court heard on Wednesday that Yosif and his relatives drained the man’s bank accounts “because they were confident that Gary Piatek would never say a thing”.

Yosif, of Broad Avenue, Leicester, and Omed Firuzmand, 25, of Ashley Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, both deny murder and preventing a lawful burial.

Six other defendants also face charges relating to the man’s disappearance.

Opening the Crown’s case against the eight defendants, prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC told the jury Piatek lived an “unassuming life” at his home in Broad Avenue in the Evington area of the city, where he had lived “almost all of his life”.

Sandhu said: “By April of 2024, he had in effect retired and he was paid a pension which was more than adequate to meet his modest lifestyle.

“Gary Piatek would have continued living perfectly happily in that way, save for what happened on the 18th of April of 2024.

“On the 18th of April 2024, Gary Piatek did what he did ordinarily. He left his home, he travelled by bus towards Leicester and he went to a couple of pubs.

“However, the 18th of April of 2024 was not an ordinary day. That evening, Gary Piatek went missing. He has not been seen since, he has not been heard from.”

Sandhu said it was the prosecution’s case “that there has been neither sight nor sound of Gary Piatek because he was murdered”.