Killer screams 'he's dead, he's dead' in street after beating dad, 73, to death

Daily Mirror

07-07-2025

John Sarawanskyj, 52, told paramedics at the harrowing scene in Southport last December that he was 'not bothered' his dad was dead after jumping 'all over' his head
A man was heard screaming "he's dead, he's dead" in the streets after viciously killing his 73-year-old dad in a chilling video released by police.
John Sarawanskyj, 52, inflicted multiple injuries on his father Ivan during a "deliberate and sustained attack" at their Southport home on Braemar Avenue in Merseyside last December. Following the assault, the son brazenly admitted to a neighbour that he had "jumped all over his dad's head".
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An "intoxicated" Sarawanskyj also coldly remarked to paramedics who arrived at the scene: "I'm not bothered he's dead. He wasn't a nice man." The violent outburst was reportedly fuelled by ongoing disputes over money and the death of John Sarawanskyj's American bulldog, Zeus.
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The loss deeply affected him three months prior and he harboured a "desire for revenge", believing his dad had conspired with veterinarians to poison his pet. Initially, Sarawanskyj claimed he was absent when his Ivan died, hinting at the possibility of a third party's involvement or suggesting his father might have sustained his "extensive injuries" from a fall.
However, during a two-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court, he changed his story and asserted that he acted in self-defence during a physical altercation. The jury unanimously found him guilty of murder, reports the Liverpool Echo.
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Sarawanskyj showed no emotion as he received a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years last week. Merseyside Police have since released several CCTV clips that were shown to the jurors throughout the trial.
This includes footage of his six visits he made to a local off-licence near their bungalow, VK Saba Wines on Churchill Avenue, on the day of the murder while using his dad's bank card to make purchases. On the first visit, at around 7.45am, he can be heard telling the shopkeeper: "I've been up all night me."
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Sarawanskyj later returned to the same shop and withdrew £200 from a cash machine, again using his dad's bank card. In a fifth visit, he bought himself a bottle of honey Jack Daniels while joking with the cashier: "That's my Christmas present off my dad. He doesn't know yet.
"He will do when I get home. He's gonna kill me. Look what I've just got for my Christmas present."
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Just before midnight, a CCTV camera from his mate Gary Buckley's house on Eden Avenue then captured the killer approaching the address and shouting: "He's dead. He's dead. He's dead."
The two men are then seen walking back towards Braemar Avenue a short time later, with Mr Buckley putting an arm around Sarawanskyj's shoulder after the latter says: "He's dead. I'm worried about my dog. What are you worried about him for?"
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Nick Johnson KC said during the prosecution's opening: "On Sunday the 22nd of December last year, this defendant kicked and beat his 73-year-old father to death in his own home by delivering multiple blows to his head, his chest and his abdomen.
"He caused 46 external injuries to his head and neck alone, including bone fractures and lacerations. He caused multiple fractures to multiple ribs and his sternum.
Mr Sarawanskyj had been living at the property for "a couple of years or more" before being "joined by his son in more recent months", along with Zeus and another dog, an XL bully named Skye. However, their relationship was reportedly fraught with difficulty, both men battling "history of alcoholism" and neighbours frequently overhearing "hearing arguments and swearing on a regular basis".
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Donna Larkey, who lived across from the troubled duo, reported "loud shouting" coming from the house during the early hours of December 22 as John Sarawanskyj seemed to be angrily demanding money. Russell Moss, acquainted with both individuals for about three years, remembered the defendant accusing him, another man Gary Buckley, Ivan Sarawanskyj "and, somehow, the local vets" of colluding to poison his 11 year old dog Zeus.
Upon visiting the Sarawanskyj residence around midday on December 22, Mr Moss discovered the father "on the floor with a black eye and blood coming from his ear". At that time, John described Ivan as having "fallen over again, the soft c***".
When Mr Moss urged the son to assist his dad off the ground, he reportedly handed him a cigarette but left him lying there after remarking: "He'll be alright, he'll get up himself. Take no f***ing notice. He's alright. He's staying there."
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Later that day, Mr Moss returned to the property, finding John "agitated" and "flipping out", yet holding £90 in cash and some scratch cards, expressing his desire for "wanted £100 to buy some drugs". Upon asking about Ivan, Sarawanskyj allegedly responded: "No, he's f***ing down there."
Later that evening, after 11.30pm, Sarawanskyj confided in Mr Buckley from nearby Eden Avenue, saying: "He's dead. I don't know what to do." Mr Buckley accompanied Sarawanskyj back to Braemar Avenue, where they discovered Ivan "clearly dead" on the floor beside the bed.
At the scene, Ivan was found with "multiple injuries" in a blood-spattered bedroom. His son later told police he had been away since 8am, suggesting: "I've been to town today, check the CCTV footage. He's a drinker right, I go out. I'm not gonna kill me old fella, am I?". Police also found a blood-stained sponge and cloth near the kitchen sink.
Sarawanskyj told investigators during the first of three interviews that he "hadn't got a clue what had happened, he just discovered him when he got home" and "claimed he had spent the day walking around Southport with his dog". He explained how he had "had arguments with his dad in the past, but nothing major" and that his dad "would get angry now and again when in drink" but that he would "just get out of the way".
Judge Brian Cummings KC stated: "The victim was, at the time of his death, a frail old man. He was 73 years old, 5ft5in tall and weighed eight-and-a-half stone. You, in addition to being 21 years younger, were significantly bigger and more robust, 6ft tall and 13st in weight. You have accepted no criminal responsibility for his death and have shown no remorse."