Police have released gripping footage showing the dramatic arrest of Kane Kotwica, convicted of a fatal stabbing in Gloucester. On December 5, Kotwica, 39, was found guilty of murdering 53-year-old Matthew Cainey, as well as causing grievous bodily harm with intent to two other men.
The attack took place on May 28 earlier this year, outside a flat on Bedford Street, Gloucester. The incident was captured on a neighbour’s doorbell camera and involved a premeditated knife assault that left Cainey dead and two others critically wounded.
Following the attack, Kotwica fled the scene, disposing of the weapon down a drain. CCTV footage later tracked his movements before he was apprehended by armed police officers at the junction of Painswick Road and Chequers Road, near a local community coffee shop.
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Body-worn camera footage released by police reveals the moment officers identified Kotwica from an unmarked vehicle. They quickly surrounded him and ordered him to lie face-down on the street. The tense scene unfolded in broad daylight, with officers instructing him not to move as they secured his arrest.
Detective Inspector Adam Stacey of the Major Crime Investigation Team described the attack as “cowardly” and “premeditated,” expressing condolences to the victim’s family. Stacey praised their strength and dignity throughout the trial.
The court heard that Kotwica had initially been involved in a heated argument inside the flat. After threatening another man with a knife, the weapon was confiscated, and Kotwica was asked to leave. He returned about ninety minutes later, armed and ready. Upon re-entry, he stabbed Matthew Cainey in the chest, resulting in fatal injuries. The two men who tried to intervene were also seriously harmed, requiring life-saving surgery.
Matthew Cainey’s family released an emotional statement, remembering him as a loving father and a cheerful, cheeky man devoted to his family and friends. The verdict brings some measure of closure after a harrowing ordeal for all involved.