Mother's appeal over murdered son

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The mother of a Polish man who was murdered in Barnsley has appealed for help to catch his killer.

Krzysztof Pawel Stalmach, 36, was found with a head injury in Dodworth Road on 12 November and died three days later.

His mother Wanda arrived at Barnsley District General Hospital an hour before he died after a 36-hour journey from her home in Lublin, Poland.

Police said Mr Stalmach, who had been in the UK for 18 months, had been the victim of a "vicious assault".

Poster appeal

Mrs Stalmach said: "My son Krzysztof was only 36 and leaves three young children who are trying to come to terms with the death of their father.

"Any information that can be given to help the police with their investigation will be of enormous help to our family and may assist in bringing the offenders to justice."

South Yorkshire Police said more than 30 detectives were investigating Mr Stalmach's murder.

Officers have attended a Polish church mass in a bid to gather information and posters appealing for information, in Polish and English, are to be put up in the area.

Five arrested

Det Supt Richard Fawkes appealed for anyone with information, particularly members of the local Polish community, to come forward.

He said: "We know that Krzysztof spent most of the Saturday evening and the early part of the Sunday morning with friends.

"We also know that he was assaulted quite viciously sometime before his collapse."

Mr Stalmach was an economic migrant who worked at food packaging companies in Barnsley and the South Kirkby area of West Yorkshire.

Five people arrested in connection with his murder have since been released without charge.