Update into Gaunt Street death

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16:50 09/06/2023

Updated

Update 4.50pm, 9 June

Krystian Skowronski (32), of Gaunt Street, Lincoln, has been remanded into custody following a hearing at Lincoln Magistrates' Court today (9 June).

He was charged with manslaughter and affray in connection with the death of 66-year-old Philip Woods on Monday night (5 June).

He is due to appear at Lincoln Crown Court on 10 July.

Update 8.45am, 9 June

We have charged Krystian Skowronski (32), of Gaunt Street, Lincoln, in connection with the death of 66-year-old Philip Woods on Monday night (5 June).

Skowronski was arrested the night of the incident and has remained in custody since then.

He has now been formally charged with manslaughter and affray and continues to be remanded.

The charges were laid late last night following a swift and thorough investigation which has included viewing CCTV and mobile phone footage, social media evidence, forensic investigations, and interviews.

We would like to thank the community for their assistance in our investigation.

He is due to appear at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court this morning.

The victim’s family have been informed and ask for privacy at this time.

Update 4.30pm, 7 June

We can now confirm that the person who has died was Philip Woods.

He was 66-years-old. His family described him as a beloved Dad and Grandad, and have shared a picture of Philip with his dog Poppy, who is now being cared for by them.

They are being supported by specially-trained officers, and we ask that their privacy is respected while they come to terms with their loss.

2023-06-07 Phillip Woods and dog Poppy.jpg

Update, 12.01pm 7 June

We are continuing to appeal for witnesses and information to help our murder investigation following the incident in Gaunt Street, Lincoln.

We would particularly like to trace the driver of a red car who may have crucial information to help our investigation. We don't have a make and model, so we ask that anyone who was driving a red car in the Gaunt Street area between 7pm on 5 June and 12.30am on 6 June to get in touch.

Detective Chief Inspector Jen Lovatt is leading the operation. She said: "At the fore of this investigation is the victim, and our thoughts are with his family and friends while they try to process their loss. We have specialist officers working with them and we will do our best to support and look after them.

"I appreciate there is a good deal of public interest and concern in relation to this tragic incident and we’re working hard to establish the facts, but I want to make clear that we do not think there is any wider threat to the public. We know that there are a lot of questions about the circumstances of this case, and we’re working round the clock to find answers. While we do that, we’d ask that people don’t speculate on social media as it could jeopardise our investigation.

"We still have several lines of enquiry to look into to establish the exact circumstances around what has happened, and postmortem examinations have yet to take place to find out what caused his death, but I am satisfied that, at this moment, we do not need to look for anyone else in connection with this investigation.

"We have had a great number of people come forward so far with information, and this is testament to the local community and how much they, like us, value finding justice. For that support we want to say thank you.

"We know that there will be people we have yet to speak with and we ask that they come forward with anything they know, no matter how small and inconsequential they think it might be; every tiny piece of the jigsaw comes together to form the bigger picture, and we’d rather have the information and not need it, that miss out on a crucial piece of evidence. As soon as we can update with more information, we will.”

A 32-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident remains in police custody.

If you can help, there are a number of ways to get in touch:

You can send information as well as CCTV and dashcam footage anonymously through our Major Incident Public Portal: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM23C94-PO1
By calling 101 quoting incident 477 of 5 June
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 477 of 5 June in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.

Original release, 1pm 6 June

We have launched a murder investigation after officers were called to reports a man had been assaulted in Gaunt Street last night (Monday, 5 June).

We received the call at 11.08pm, and officers were immediately deployed, where they found a 66-year-old man with a suspected head injury.

Despite the best efforts of emergency services, he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.

A 32-year-old man was arrested at 11.37pm in the nearby area following a swift response from officers. He has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.

Detectives and specialist crime scene investigators are in Gaunt Street and the surrounding area today, and will remain there for the next few days as we begin to piece together the circumstances of what has happened.

We are now appealing for anyone who was in Gaunt Street or the surrounding areas between 7.30pm last night (Monday, 5 June) and 12.30am today to come forward with any information which might help our investigation.

The incident happened in a built up residential area and we believe that there will have been people around or driving through local streets who may have information that can help.

We are particularly keen to see any CCTV, doorbell, mobile phone or dashcam footage which may have captured anyone in that area during the times mentioned.