A 21 year-old man has today been found guilty of killing a university lecturer who was stabbed to death in his own home.

Roger Gray (64) was attacked overnight between March 18 and March 19 last year.  He suffered multiple stab wounds in the attack, which took place at his home in Merchiston Crescent in Edinburgh.

At the High Court in Livingston today, Pawel Rodak was found guilty of culpable homicide.

Rodak had attacked Mr Gray before turning on the gas burners in his kitchen and leaving a lit candle in the hope of causing an explosion at the address.

Mr Gray’s body was discovered in the hallway of the property around 8.30am on March 19 2011, after gas board workers who were there to investigate the leak called police to the property.

A full-scale murder enquiry was immediately launched, and officers traced Rodak in Edinburgh city centre on March 23, where he was arrested and charged.

In a statement, Roger Gray’s brother Fred Gray (67) said: “I came here to observe justice being done and to obtain closure on my brother’s death.

“In my view, the evidence presented has shown beyond any reasonable doubt that my brother was killed by Pawel Rodak.

Roger Gray

“There is nothing that can bring my brother back.  He spent his working life in academia where he was recognised as a gifted teacher and ambassador for his university (Heriot Watt University, Department of Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics).

“His killer will have plenty of time to reflect on his actions, and will hopefully devote the next phase of his life to make himself a better person fit to contribute to society.

“Our family can move on, but we will never forget Roger, who helped many people during his life.

“Finally, I would like to put on the record the excellent support provided to me by the two Lothian and Borders Police Family Liaison Officers who assisted me during the police investigation.”

Chief Superintendent Gill Imery, from Lothian and Borders Police, said: “Roger Gray suffered an extremely violent death at the hands of Pawel Rodak, who is clearly a dangerous individual.

“After killing Mr Gray he attempted to cause an explosion at his home in a bid to cover his tracks, putting neighbouring properties at risk, as well as the workers who were called to deal with the gas leak.

“The discovery of Mr Gray’s body led to a full-scale murder enquiry which led to the arrest of Pawel Rodak in Princes Street days later.

“It is my sincere hope that Roger Gray’s family can draw some comfort from today’s conviction, and I would like to pay tribute to them for their courage during what has been a harrowing ordeal.

“I would also like to thank them for the assistance they provided to officers during the investigation into Mr Gray’s death.”

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3 COMMENTS

  1. In the name of balanced reporting, would it not be more honest to include in your story that this vulnerable 21 year old was offered money (and not very much money) by this pillar of the community to be whipped and hurt? He had obviously been let down throughout his life and couldn’t take any more. Perhaps your paper could take some steps towards opening peoples eyes to the total social injustice and balance of power issues thos story raises.

  2. Michelle and JT, we don’t know exactly what happened that night because none of us were there. How do you know he was actually slapped? This fact should have been reported so Mr. Rodak could get his side heard. A social injustice gives no man the right to kill another. Does a social injustice give you the right to kill your neighbor?

    According to STV, they met on MULTIPLE occasions. Could it be that Mr. Rowdak had a sudden realization that he shouldn’t be sleeping with a man 43 years his senior? They both put themselves into an awkward situation and it resulted in disaster. One man lost his life and another man’s life is ruined FOREVER. The real story here is we should be thinking about our decisions.

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