During a meeting with Boris Johnson, Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lubomir Zaoralek asked the British courts for a full investigation into the death of his countryman, Raymond Sculley 29-year-old from Tower Hamlets in East London, who had been cleared of all charges during a trial at the Old Bailey last week. He has been accused of beating Czech man Zdeněk Makar to death with a bike lock in September last year after a brawl at a branch of Perfect Fried Chicken in East London. It had been widely believed that the killing rose concerns about post-Brexit violent acts.
Sculley was aggressive
The 31-year old Zdeněk Makar had lived in London for more than ten years and worked at the Royal Institute of British Architects. During a trial at the Old Bailey, jurors heard, that Mr. Makar was on his way home after a night out with colleagues when Mr. Sculley attacked him. The court heard that Mr. Makar joked to a friend of Sculley. “What’s this? A bike gang?” when he saw bicycles stranded on the pavement outside the chicken shop in Poplar. The defendant and his friends followed the Czech man who continued his way home. Raymond Sculley was seen on CCTV footage acting aggressively towards Mr. Makar, who was trying for the situation not to escalate, the court was told.
Mr. Sculley allegedly hit the victim five or six times with a heavy metal bike chain. Mr. Makar was declared dead when the ambulance arrived. Following the horrific incident, two of Sculley's friends went to the police to report him for the attack. Painter and Decorator, Sculley claimed he did not murder the Czech hospitality manager and acted in self-defense.
'A senseless death'
The victim's sister Adéla Makarová said, "The non-guilty verdict is absolutely shocking for our family. My brother was unarmed and didn't pose any threat to Sculley." Moreover, she explained that a petition has been filed." We have the full support of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and we want to use all opportunities in order to appeal the verdict.
The murderer didn't show remorse or any other emotions during the trial. This is another reason why the verdict seems to have a political background. I hope that justice will win and the murderer will be punished. I have never imagined that this kind of injustice is possible in a developed democracy as the U. K.," she explained.
"I feel only fury and animosity. No regrets. Zdeněk was my best friend, the most important person in my life. His death was absolutely useless and I will never accept that," Ms. Makarová concluded.
