Man sentenced for killing car wash co-worker

A man has been given a six-month suspended jail sentence for accidentally killing a co-worker at a car wash.

Lukasz Wojenkowski, 35, from Southampton, was hit by a customer's Range Rover at Car Wash Bay in Bishopstoke, Hampshire, on 21 January 2024.

Patryk Galka, 25, of Commercial Road, Southampton, denied causing death by careless driving but was found guilty by a jury at Southampton Crown Court.

Judge William Mousley KC said the defendant was "fundamentally not looking where he was going" when he reversed over the victim.

Mr Wojenkowski died in hospital two days after being knocked down.

His sister Beata told the court he came to the UK from Poland in 2011 in search of better pay.

In a victim impact statement read by a barrister, she said: "He loved the people he worked with and loved cars.

"He was friendly, always smiling, always willing to help people.

"When the police phoned, my world fell apart in an instant.

"This is a pain that we will live with for the rest of our lives."

Judge Mousley said Galka, who is also Polish, had shown remorse but had contested the charge.

He said the defendant's diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia did not explain or mitigate the "momentary loss of concentration".

Suspending the jail term for a year, the judge ordered Galka to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and up to 15 rehabilitation activity days. He also imposed a two-year driving ban.

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