Convicted murderer died from cancer in prison | UK | News
Polish national Piotr Kulik, a murderer who died just 11 years into his life sentence, had been swapping his life-saving medications for the drug known as spice before his death, according to a new report.
The findings from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Adrian Usher have disclosed details surrounding the murderer’s untimely death.
It revealed that Kulik had been diagnosed with “advanced and untreatable cancer” in November 2022 while at HMP Gartree in Leicestershire.
Kulik finally succumbed to the illness on March 7 last year at the age of just 41. His bowel cancer had spread to other parts of his body including his liver, according to the report, reports LeicestershireLive.
However, Mr Usher found that Kulik had not been taking his cancer drugs prior to his death.
Instead, he had been trading the medication with fellow prisoners for ‘spice’, a popular man-made psychoactive drug that is usually smoked.
The report also revealed that Kulik had issues with other inmates and owed them money.
The Ombudsman’s report states: “A prison intelligence report suggested that Mr Kulik was swapping his medication for illicit psychoactive substances. Two intelligence reports submitted noted that Mr Kulik’s canteen order was unusual and appeared to be related to debts he owed other prisoners on the wing. He had ordered a high number of vapes.”
Following his cancer diagnosis, Kulik repeatedly requested to be moved to the Loros hospice in Leicester.
After several rejections, he was finally admitted in March 2023, where he spent his final five days.
The report detailed his worries about moving to the hospice, stating: “Mr Kulik admitted that he was worried about leaving the prison due to the debts he owed.
“He said he was worried that his debts would be transferred to another prisoner, a friend of his, after his death. Prison officers offered to address the issues with Mr Kulik’s debt for him. He seemed pleased with the offer and agreed to go to the hospice.”
The report into the death was ordered after Kulik became the 17th prisoner to die at Gartree in the three years up to his death.
Twelve of the previous deaths were ruled as natural causes, three were self-inflicted, and one is awaiting classification.
The Polish murderer was sentenced to life behind bars in 2012 for murdering 38-year-old Marcin Porczek in December 2010 in London. Kulik and Krzysztof Szafisz were found guilty of beating Porczek to death during a fight over scrap metal payments. Marcin’s body was later found face-down on a mattress in a derelict building in Barnfield Road, Wembley.