Child killer Lukasz Czapla tried to evade justice by leading police on a high-speed car chase just hours after he brutally murdered his defenceless two-year-old son.
Evil Czapla, who was sentenced to life in prison earlier this week, bolted from the flat in Edinburgh’s Muirhouse and took off in his car, resulting in a dramatic pursuit by officers.
Czapla, 41, shot, stabbed and smothered two-year-old Julius at his home in November 2020 to get back at the child’s mum Patrycja Szczesniak.
Patrycja had split from Czapla in June that year but was allowed him look after defenceless Julius.
In a fit of rage after he learned Patrycja was seeing someone else, he killed his toddler son.
A police source said: “He sent texts to his ex which worried her enough she went down to the flat to see if her child was OK.
“When she arrived to what was a bloodbath, Czapla then ran from the house to his car despite being intoxicated with drugs and alcohol and drove dangerously from Muirhouse to the A90, through busy city streets full of traffic and pedestrians.
"He was overtaking and undertaking other vehicles causing them to swerve to avoid him.”
Czapla was eventually caught after he caused a collision with another car.
The source added: “He had taken a lot of prescribed medication in the car with him as well as an air weapon.”
Czapla claimed he suffered from poor mental health at the time he killed Julius and that he acted out of character.
He had sent Patrycja a series of bizarre texts asking her about her new partner and her sex life.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Patrycja refused to respond to the messages.
Callous Czapla, who had spent the evening drinking beer, then downed antidepressants with wine.
He shot Julius three times in the head with a gas-powered air pistol, before stabbing the toddler with a metal skewer and smothering him with a pillow.
In a statement issued to Police Scotland, Patrycja said: “Julius was murdered only for revenge. His dad wanted me to suffer, he succeeded and achieved his goal, at the cost of my beloved little boy’s life. He not only took Julius’s life but my life too.”
Czapla will serve at least 23 years before he is eligible for parole. During his trial, he admitted breaching drink driving laws in the Edinburgh area on November 21.
He also pleaded guilty to consuming a “quantity of prescribed medication” and driving at excessive speeds while “overtaking and undertaking” other vehicles.
He further admitted failing to give way on the A90/M90 slip road which forced other vehicles to “take evasive action.”
Czapla also pleaded guilty to possessing ecstasy and LSD, as well as having an air weapon.
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