Mother Starves Her 4-Year-Old Son, Then Beats Him To Death

A mother accused of starving her four-year-old son before beating him
to death was an aggressive drunk who threatened the boy's father with
a knife,a court heard today.
Magdalena Luczak, 27, and her partner Mariusz Krezolek, 33, of
Coventry, are accused of depriving Daniel Pelka, of food,
force-feeding him salt and lockinghim in a home-made prison.


The toddler was so skinny he resembleda 'concentration camp victim'
before he died from a head injury in March 2012, Birmingham Crown
Court was told.
Daniel's biological father Eryk Pelka said he regularly found Luczak
drunk while looking after their son, and the pair would regularly
argue - with her lashingout by hitting him over the face.
He told the court she once threatened to stab him with a knife at a
party, and he had to call the police.


They met in Poland in 2004 then moved to Coventrya year later before
Daniel was born.
But their relationship deteriorated and he eventually left Britain to
return to his native Poland when Daniel was agedone. Mr Pelka said he
had 'fierce arguments' with Luczak.


Speaking through a translator, he said: 'They are only my thoughts but
she wasaggressive towards me. She was shouting and calling me names
and she was trying to hit me as well.'
Mr Pelka said at a party in 2007 police had to be called after Luczak
threatenedhim with a knife.


He said: 'We were at the party together and we had been drinking
together. We were arguing all the time and she grabbed a knife.
'I rang the police and the police came and arrested both of us because
I was drunk as well. I was pushing her away.'


Mr Pelka said Luczak would 'repeatedly'slap him across the face. He
said on twooccasions he had to call into work and pretend to be sick
because Luczak had not come home from a night out.


He also said he came home late from his job as a lorry driver on at
least two occasions and found her drunk. He said:'She was drunk and
Daniel was lying onhis own and no-one was looking after him.'


The pair moved to Coventry in 2005 and shared various addresses before
andafter Daniel was born in December 2007.