A murderer who evaded justice for nearly 40 years after assuming a false identity will have his sentenced reduced after an appeal. Paul Bryan was 22 when he fatally stabbed 62-year-old Roman Szalajko in the stomach at his flat in Kennington, south London, in February 1984. After the killing, he took on the identity of a dead Welshman with the same name and embarked on a new life travelling around Europe. It was not until November 2023 that Bryan was convicted, after his fingerprints were identified from a bottle at the scene during a cold case review in 2013.
Bryan, now aged 63 and originally from Hammersmith, west London, was handed a life sentence, with a minimum term of 24 years, at the Old Bailey in December. His lawyers appealed against his sentence at a hearing in London, arguing it “does not accord with the practice at the time the offence was committed”. The judges concluded that while the offending was “serious,” the sentence was “manifestly excessive” after considering legal guidance. Bryan’s sentence was changed to life, with a minimum jail term of 20 years.
The Old Bailey judge previously found Bryan had gone to the victim’s flat to extract paperwork connected with Mr. Szalajko’s role as an unofficial financial adviser. The victim, a divorced father of two, was known to gamble and keep large amounts of cash at his home. On the day of the murder, Mr. Szalajko was on the phone to a friend when he was heard answering the door and calling for help before the line went dead, having been deliberately cut by Bryan. Bryan was ultimately tracked down by a Scotland Yard detective sergeant, with DNA from his late mother’s hairbrush found to be a familial match to traces on the victim’s vest and clump of hair.
John Ryder KC, representing Bryan, stated that “a sentence of this magnitude would not have been imposed” at the time of the offense. Mitigating factors included Bryan’s young age in 1984 and a lack of other serious offenses committed since. Louis Mably KC, for the Crown Prosecution Service, argued that Bryan’s crime was “exceptionally grave” and that he should receive a 24-year minimum term.
Mr. Justice Dove emphasized that while the case had “a number of aggravating features,” it was not an “exceptionally grave” offense when compared to previous legal guidance. Bryan, who joined the hearing via video link from HMP Belmarsh, had previously admitted to having a false passport. The incident not only impacted the victim but also caused distress to the victim’s son, who fell under suspicion and struggled with alcohol issues before his early death in 2006.