Two sadistic women who filmed as they tortured and murdered vulnerable man in his home jailed for life
5 June 2024, 12:42
Two women who filmed as they tortured a vulnerable man to death have both been told they will serve at least 28 years in prison.
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Zoe Rider, 36, and Nicola Lethbridge, 45, attacked their 60-year-old neighbour Stephen Koszyczarski in his Sheffield flat, recording their sadistic, drug-fuelled attack as they falsely accused him of being a paedophile.
Lethbridge sobbed on Wednesday as Judge Sarah Wright told Sheffield Crown Court how the pair humiliated and terrified Mr Koszyczarski on August 9, last year.
He died from his injuries two days later.
Judge Wright said: "You were both clearly fuelled by drugs and probably alcohol.
"Having heard the evidence in the case I have absolutely no doubt that you went into Stephen's flat together in order to threaten, attack and rob him, no doubt to finance further drug taking.
"For whatever reason, during the course of that robbery, you decided jointly to accuse Stephen completely spuriously and without any reason to do so of being a paedophile."
She told them: "You set about him in the most brutal, heartless and despicable manner.
"You launched a vicious and extremely violent joint attack upon him.
"You exposed his genitals, threatened to mutilate him and shouted obscenities at him.
"You singularly failed to listen to his denials of the accusation or to offer him any compassion when he was clearly injured."
The judge said: "The purpose of your attack was to steal from him and to humiliate, terrify and hurt him.
"You left him clearly disorientated, injured and bleeding with 22 separate injuries about his face, head and body."
Rider and Lethbridge, both of Woodseats, Sheffield, were found guilty of murder and robbery earlier this year.
They were each jailed for 13 years for the robbery of Mr Koszyczarski, to run concurrently with their life terms.
