BLACKHEATH: Polish murder accused struck pensioner through 'panic' (From News Shopper)

BLACKHEATH: Polish murder accused struck pensioner through 'panic'

12:32pm Tuesday 26th January 2010 in

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A POLISH man accused of murdering pensioner Edward Highwood was acting out of “panic”, a court has heard.

Homeless Marcin Orlowski, aged 20, killed the 79-year-old in Hollymount Close, Blackheath, on July 17 last year but claims he was provoked into hitting him with a glass vase because of the pensioner's unwanted sexual advances.

Today at the Old Bailey, defence lawyer Nigel Lithman told jurors Orlowski was “homeless, jobless and vulnerable”.

He said: “Mr Highwood invited Mr Orlowski from a homeless shelter to a nice warm house with a hot meal.

“The prosecution say he wormed his way into Mr Highwood's home but that is not the evidence is it?

“The evidence shows that he was invited into an excited man's home.”

Mr Lithman later added: “Mr Orlowski was the subject of unwanted sexual advances. That's why he is guilty of manslaughter and nothing more.

“Let's say this case was about a man on a woman instead of a man on a man.

“If she had picked up a vase and repeatedly bludgeoned someone – there would be a case for self-defence. We say that murder is ludicrous.

“The sexual approach made by Mr Highwood made Mr Orlowski flip and lose control. The way he struck him repeatedly is a bit like a floundering drowning man saying 'get off, get off, get off'.

“What does it take to hit someone 10 times? Panic.”

Orlowski denies murder and also claims his responsibility for the killing was “substantially impaired” by his chronic alcoholism.

The trial continues.