Bus driver Krzysztof Daczkowski, 50, has been pictured for the first time. He is alleged to have strangled his daughter to death before ending his own life at his home in Ireland
A man who allegedly murdered his daughter has been pictured for the first time since his death.
Krzysztof Daczkowski, 50, was discovered in the landing of his home near Finglas, Co Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday night, close to the body of his five year old daughter Julia Daczkowska.
Gardai suspect that the bus driver strangled his daughter to death in her bedroom and then took his own life. Julia’s heartbroken mother, Aga, returned home from work to find them both dead on Saturday evening.
One local told how a neighbour heard the mother’s scream. “She came out to a horrible scream. It was the mother. She’d just come home from work and found them,” they said.
Other neighbours spoke of the pain at having to tell their children – many of whom played with the little girl in the playground, what had happened. “It’s very hard. Like we don’t know what to be telling our children. It’s just horrific,” one local said.
“Word filtered through but I kind of don’t think the gravity of it hit until the searches and all were going on this morning,” they added. “It’s just the kids now that we are trying to protect from it. My two girls are the same age as that little one. So it’s shocking.
“They would know her to see her in the playground. We’d always say hello to the family. My girls thought there was a movie being recorded this morning because of the cameras so I just said yeah that’s right.”
Another neighbour added: “It’s very sad. You don’t know what you’re going to do. We’ve a lot of kids as you can see there in the playground. It’s really sad. Such a quiet neighbourhood up here. You don’t hear a dickie bird up here. They’re such a quiet family. People have their thoughts on it. I have my own but no matter what it’s a tragedy.They’re a lovely very quiet family and kept to themselves. Just one child between the two of them.”
Another woman described how she saw a fire brigade truck coming into the estate at speed – and immediately she knew something was wrong. “I was up in my room and I saw the fire truck came in. I knew by the way they ran out that it was something serious.”
“There were four ambulances, two fire vans, the engine and then the guards. I knew once the ambulances were leaving I thought oh this is not good, they’re not bringing anyone out. But I still wouldn’t have imagined anything like that.”
Locals described how the father of the child was often seen with her on the street – and how the grandmother had just left the home days before the tragedy – after staying with the family all summer.
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