Spalding woman was strangled to death by abusive partner who then hanged himself

A Spalding woman was strangled to death by her partner who then hanged himself, an inquest heard today (Wednesday).

Karolina Zinkeviciene, 30, was killed by Breshnev Ruiters, who had a history of domestic violence with three previous partners.

The hearing in Lincoln was told that Ruiters, 34, had strangled one of the women to the point she accepted she was going to die.

Karolina, who had only been in the relationship for a few months, was warned by the woman just weeks before her murder that Ruiters was “aggressive and a dangerous person”.

DS Calley Murray, of Lincolnshire Police, said Karolina had texted the woman to ask whether Ruiters had hit her.

“She replied ‘yes, many times. Be careful, you cannot change him’. And Karolina’s reply was that she will change him.”

The couple’s bodies were found at their home in Winsover Road just after 5.30am on June 25, 2020.

They had been drinking at a barbecue the previous night and arguing was heard in their home in the early hours. A blood sample from Breshnev’s body found he was almost two-and-a-half times the drink-drive limit.

Quoting from an investigation report, DS Murray said: “Had Breshnev not committed suicide, he would have been arrested for the murder of Karolina and referred to the CPS for a charging decision for the offence of murder.”

The inquest heard that Ruiters received a police caution after grabbing his then partner in 2007.

From 2010 he began a seven-year “toxic” relationship with the mother of his two children. In court he admitted attacking her on three separate occasions and received an 18-month conditional discharge.

In March 2017 he threatened to kill himself with a knife in front of another partner. A year later he “choked her to the point she believed she was going to die,” said DS Murray.

The victim withdrew her complaint to police because she feared Ruiters would kill her. But a prosecution continued and he was monitored by electronic tagging. His behaviour improved and the victim allowed him to continue living with her.

He later put a knife under her chin and she collided with a neighbour’s car as she drove off in panic.

The hearing was told that there had been no reports of domestic violence to police by Karolina.

Post mortems showed bruising to both bodies, some of which had been caused by a rod-like item which police had been unable to find.

Coroner Paul Cooper concluded that Karolina’s “tragic” death was unlawful killing and Ruiters’s was suicide.