Local Man Appears in Court Charged with Piotr's Murder


While memorial fund is set up after requests from residents

A man from Bentworth Road in Shepherd's Bush appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday September 3 charged with the murder of 40 year-old Piotr Mikiewicz.

Roger Philip Buckingham, 30 was charged on Saturday, September 1, with the murder in Rylett Road which has shocked the local community.

Buckingham was further charged with possession of an offensive weapon, theft of a motor vehicle and burglary at an address in Rylett Road on Wednesday August 29.

He was remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey for a plea and case management hearing on December 10.

A bail application hearing will take place at the court on Wednesday.

Five other people, two men and three women, arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender have been bailed to return in October.

Piotr was a street cleaner who was stabbed after trying to stop a burglar on Wednesday around 1.50pm.  An air ambulance landed in nearby Wendell Park and he was taken to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, but died the following day.

Since then tributes have poured in for Piotr, who was well known and liked in the local area. On Friday Hammersmith and Fulham Council lowered the flat at Hammersmith Town Hall to half mast and opened two condolence books, which are open at Shepherd's Bush Libary and at the town hall.

Local residents have also left hundreds of messages of condolence and tributes to Piotr, described by many as a "true gentleman" on the council's website.

Letters of condolence can be sent c/o Sophia Coulson, ELRS, H&F Council, 77 Glenthorne Road, Hammersmith, W6 0LJ. Letters will be forwarded on to Piotr's family

Many local people have also expressed a desire to contribute towards a collection for Piotr’s widow and family, and a fund has now been set up by Serco. The details for people wishing to make a donation to the Piotr Mikiewicz Memorial Fund are:
 
Sort code: 40 02 50 
Account number: 61337068

Mike Boult, Director of Serco – the company which cleans the borough’s streets on the council’s behalf, said: " Piotr was a unique and special person, and he will be sorely missed, but our loss is nothing compared to that of his family and friends. They are in our thoughts, and on behalf of everyone at Serco I want to send them our sincerest sympathies and condolences. We will do everything we can to support them at this very difficult time."