Man ‘who murdered his wife and daughter slit their throats before casually walking away’

A father who killed his wife and teenage daughter showed ‘no humanity’ before ‘casually walking away’ after slitting their throats, a court heard today.  

Helpless witnesses watched in horror as Tesco worker Marcin Zdun murdered Aneta, 40, and her 18-year-old daughter Nikoleta, with ‘pure anger in his face’, jurors were told.

The 40-year-old claims he cannot remember killing the pair, but prosecutors say Zdun is guilty of murder and merely pretending he has memory loss because it is ‘convenient’.  

Aneta Zdun and her teenage daughter Nikoleta, right, were found with their throats cut at their home in Salisbury 

Marcin Zdun killed his 18-year-old daughter Nikoleta and wife Aneta, 40, ‘in the most brutal fashion’

Winchester Crown Court has heard Zdun ‘butchered’ Aneta and Nikoleta after his wife kicked him out of the family home. 

It is alleged he grew jealous of the mother and daughter’s close relationship, and he suspected Aneta was cheating on him. 

Zdun denies two counts of murder but admits killing the pair, claiming he has ‘no recollection’ of the incident and killed them by way of diminished responsibility as he is mentally impaired.

A workman who witnessed the alleged murders said ‘there was no humanity’ and ‘pure anger’ in Zdun’s face during the attack in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on June 1. 

Another hero workman who chased Zdun and wrestled him to the ground until police arrived told Zdun’s murder trial: ‘I punched him but I wish I did more’.  

Painter and decorator David Powell rushed to the scene when he heard screams from Zdun’s young children, who were inside when it unfolded.

Mr Powell became emotional as he described in graphic detail how Zdun ‘butchered’ his wife and daughter with a six-eight inch knife.

‘There was no humanity in his face whatsoever, just anger – pure anger. I don’t know how you can do that to another human being’, Mr Powell said.

‘His sole purpose was to kill them… he just went mental.’

Mr Powell, who was just feet away from the attack, said care worker Aneta tried to protect her college student daughter by standing between her and Zdun.

Mr Powell teared up as he said he couldn’t save the women. ‘There was nothing I could do’, he said.

Mr Powell said Zdun then collected his bag and ‘casually walked down the street like nothing happened’ but started running when he and his colleague chased and detained him.

Neighbour Tamar Vellacott told the court: ‘A workman came up covered in blood, he said ‘I did what I had to do, I punched him, but I wish I could have done more’.’  

Nikoleta was a college student who was passionate about fashion and make up and dreamt of one day working abroad. She had been studying travel and tourism.

College student Nikoleta was ‘terrified’ of her father and told her mother that she was worried he would kill her, jurors heard

Prosecutor Nicholas Haggan QC told the court today that Zdun claims to have no memory of what happened on the day of the killings.

He added: ‘The defendant does not dispute that he was responsible for their deaths.  

‘The defendant’s asserted lack of recall could be due to a condition called dissociative amnesia. Such a condition can occur when an individual is so horrified by his own actions that he or she represses the memory and blocks it out.

‘Equally, the defendant’s claim not to be able to remember what happened could be untrue – in other words, he does remember what he did but is choosing not to admit it, because it is convenient for him to do so. 

‘[The killings were] not the result of an abnormality of mental functioning… The defendant knew exactly what he was doing; he made the conscious decision to kill his wife and daughter, he knew that it was wrong – but he chose to do it anyway.’

Workman Jeffrey Dray told a 999 operator ‘f****** hell there’s blood everywhere’ when he entered the house moments after Zdun fled.

The trial continues.