Mateusz Madej, 23, disappeared after being granted bail over a brutal machete murder
A murder suspect featured on the BBC’s Crimewatch faces extradition to Britain after finally being arrested following a year on the run in his native Poland.
Mateusz Madej, 23, disappeared after being granted bail in September last year over the brutal machete murder of cage fighter Sebastian Zuchlinski, 39.
Mr Zuchlinski was ambushed and hacked to death by four masked men in Bolton, Greater Manchester, in February 2016.
Last March, Tomasz Bubrowski, 39, was jailed for life at Bolton Crown Court for being one of the four suspected killers.
Madej, who was described by police as ‘dangerous’, fled to Poland after being released by detectives on bail – but he was arrested in Krakow on November 14.
Today, a Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: ‘We are aware of the arrest of Mateusz Madej in Krakow.
![Sebastian Zuchlinski, 39, pictured with his partner Ewa Bubrowska, was ambushed in the street and suffered at least 17 wounds to his head, body and limbs during the vicious assault](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/05/15/4703868700000578-5148199-Sebastian_Zuchlinski_39_pictured_with_his_partner_Ewa_Bubrowska_-m-49_1512489453337.jpg)
Sebastian Zuchlinski, 39, pictured with his partner Ewa Bubrowska, was ambushed in the street and suffered at least 17 wounds to his head, body and limbs during the vicious assault
‘Madej remains wanted by GMP in connection with the murder of Sebastian Zuchlinski and the subject of a European Arrest Warrant. We will continue to liaise with the Polish authorities.’
A European Arrest Warrant, valid throughout all EU member states, requires another member state to arrest and transfer a criminal suspect to the issuing state.
Cagefighter and father Mr Zuchlinski was ambushed in the street and suffered at least 17 wounds to his head, body and limbs during the vicious assault.
Mr Zuchlinski, known affectionately as ‘Seba’, had been at home with girlfriend Anna Bubrowska when they decided to go out.
Miss Bubrowska’s sister, Beata Brzeleinska, offered to drive Mr Zuchlinski to a friend’s house to borrow some smart shoes.
![Last March, Tomasz Bubrowski, 39, was jailed for life for being one of the four suspected killers](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/05/15/4703867100000578-5148199-image-m-51_1512489498088.jpg)
Last March, Tomasz Bubrowski, 39, was jailed for life for being one of the four suspected killers
The pair walked to her Citroen C2 car parked around the corner but after climbing in they were ambushed by men who blocked them off with their Honda Civic.
During Bubrowski’s trial, prosecutor Mark Monaghan said four men in balaclavas began hitting the roof and bonnet of the car.
![Mr Zuchlinski, known affectionately as 'Seba', suffered a stab wound to the head that was so forceful it fractured his skull](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/05/16/4703868200000578-5148199-Mr_Zuchlinski_known_affectionately_as_Seba_suffered_a_stab_wound-m-56_1512489616827.jpg)
Mr Zuchlinski, known affectionately as ‘Seba’, suffered a stab wound to the head that was so forceful it fractured his skull
Three of them went to Mr Zuchlinski’s side of the car while the fourth – holding a machete – tried to open Miss Brzeleinska’s locked car door.
Describing the sudden attack, Miss Brzeleinska told the jury: ‘I was so in shock, I didn’t know what to do with myself.
‘Seba looked at me and said ‘Beata run’ and then he just opened his door and got out to them. He tried to shield himself with the door and they just grabbed him.’
She ran off and when she returned Mr Zuchlinski was lying dying on the ground.
His thumb was chopped off, a stab wound to the head was so forceful it fractured his skull and a six-inch-deep wound to the chest cut into two ribs and a lung.
The jury heard following the killing, Bubrowski headed back to his home in Bolton with Madej to collect some possessions before the two men drove to Madej’s home.
An eyewitness, Naseran Iqbal, came across the men in balaclavas attacking Mr Zuchlinski and saw him attempting to crawl away.
She sounded her horn and when she got out of her car the attackers fled and she went to try and help Mr Zuchlinski.
Bubrowski, who already had a conviction for stabbing someone else in the head, stood looking emotionless in the dock as a jury convicted him of murder.
He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 31 years.
Speaking at the end of the trial, Greater Manchester Police’s Detective Sergeant Derek Houston said: ‘I am satisfied with the sentence.
‘It reflects the seriousness of the offence. We will not stop in our endeavours to catch the remaining killers.’
Detective Inspector John Mulvihill said: ‘This was a savage and unprovoked attack that took the life of an unarmed man who had made plans for a fun evening out with his girlfriend and her sister.
‘The loss of Seba was one that his loved ones felt deeply and they still feel the impact of his death and miss him dearly. My thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
‘I hope the sentence passed will give them some sort of comfort to know that justice has been served and a man responsible for killing their loved one will now start a lengthy prison sentence.’
A Crimewatch appeal in September last year described Madej as ‘dangerous’ as police tried to track him over the murder.
Two other men, completing the list of four murder suspects, are still wanted in connection with the killing.
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.