Skip to main content

Killer posed girlfriend's body on her bed and used nail varnish to daub the words: 'It was me!' on her skin after he strangled and stabbed her to death in a ritualistic murder

A killer posed his girlfriend's body on her bed and used nail varnish to daub the words: 'It was me!' on her skin after he strangled and stabbed her to death in a sickening ritualistic murder.

Daniel Smith, 41, left the macabre boast on the right leg of Imogen Bohayczuk, 29, after laying out her corpse and arranging her arms and legs like an 'exhibition' before going on a spending spree with her bank card.

Police who arrived at Miss Bohayczuk's home in supported accommodation in the Bardsley area of Oldham, Greater Manchester, found that her arms were crossed and she appeared to be clutching a bottle of perfume. 

A soft children's toy had been left by Miss Bohayczuk's neck and her legs were crossed at the ankle, while attempts had been made to clean the scene before detectives got there in March. 

Prosecutors said the posing of the body had been 'arranged as though she were a spectacle' - and Smith said: 'I did what I felt was right. It was her favourite bottle of perfume, her favourite teddy.' 

On the day she died on February 18 this year, she twice made 999 calls to police and sent messages to an ex-boyfriend, saying: 'He strangled me so much I nearly died and then he got a knife. I though was going to die.'

Officers only arrived at the house 24 hours after the calls and then promptly left when they got no answer. The victim's body lay undiscovered for two weeks until a housing officer made the grisly discovery on March 4.

Today it also emerged that Smith had previously subjected a string of ex-lovers to controlling violence. An investigation is now ongoing into why police failed to respond to Miss Bohayczuk's SOS calls more quickly. 

When interviewed, Smith also said he accepted he was responsible for her death but he claimed it was 'out of character' and he had drunkenly daubed on her leg merely to make it clear he had inflicted the injuries. 

Daniel SmithaImogen Bohayczuk

Murderer Daniel Smith , 41, desecrated the body of his girlfriend Imogen Bohayczuk , 29, by daubing 'It was me' in red nail varnish on her leg in an 'act of callous and cruel triumphalism'

Today, Manchester Crown Court heard Miss Bohayczuk had been in a violent and abusive relationship with Smith, who was jailed for life after admitting murder earlier this month.

The court heard Miss Bohayczuk, who had a son by a previous relationship, worked as a carer but was said to be 'vulnerable' and met Smith last year. Nicknamed 'Boxer', he was said to be a 'violent and manipulative man.'

Manipulative, controlling and stealing bank cards: How Daniel Smith's ex-partners described him

Here is what prosecutor Tim Storrie QC said three of Daniel Smith's ex-partners had said about the killer:

Partner 1:

'Had a long and significant relationship with him in the late 90s and gives an account of his controlling behaviour that involved threats with knives and being thrown down the stairs. She was so distraught she contemplated taking her own life. He manipulated her by convincing her that he had been diagnosed with a cancer but this was nothing more that a shameless lie.'

Partner 2

'Another former girlfriend, recites how she was terrorised by him during a relationship which saw them move from the Isle of Wight to Tameside in the 2000s. Ultimately she left him because she was convinced that he would kill her if she remained.'

Partner 3

'Described a report to the police in 2015 about Smith her then boyfriend, had assaulted her. He also confiscating her bank cards and caused her humiliation. She considered him to be a very dangerous man.'

Tim Storrie QC, prosecuting, said an ex-partner had a 'long and significant relationship with him in the late 90s and gives an account of his controlling behaviour that involved threats with knives and being thrown down the stairs'.

He added of the ex-partner: 'She was so distraught she contemplated taking her own life. He manipulated her by convincing her that he had been diagnosed with a cancer but this was nothing more that a shameless lie.

Mr Storrie said another former girlfriend recalled 'how she was terrorised by him during a relationship which saw them move from the Isle of Wight to Tameside in the 2000s', adding: 'Ultimately she left him because she was convinced that he would kill her if she remained.'

A third 'described a report to the police in 2015 about Smith, her then boyfriend, had assaulted her', Mr Storrie  said. He added: 'He also confiscating her bank cards and caused her humiliation. 

'She considered him to be a very dangerous man. This pattern of violent and manipulative behaviour was to be replicated in respect of his relationship with Imogen.'

In November 2020, a housing officer visited Miss Bohayczuk and noticed she was bruised and in need of hospital treatment. The victim said she had been stabbed in the thigh by Smith but only agreed to treatment if police were not informed.

The officer later shared the information with her colleagues and although police visited Miss Bohayczuk later that day it is thought no action was taken. 

In the days leading up to the killing, Miss Bohayczuk then made contact with an ex-boyfriend, Gregory Johnson, and told him Smith was beating her up.

Mr Storrie added: 'At 5pm on February 18, Imogen called the police on the 112 number on two occasions. In the second call she gave an account that Daniel Smith had left the property, that she would not let him back in because he had gripped her around her neck.

'She then sent messages via the WhatsApp platform to Johnson. They included images of the injuries that she had sustained that day.  

'Gregory Johnson replied telling her to go to police but there was no response to his message and the next phase of activity from her phone was indicative of it being used by Smith.  

Miss Bohayczuk had a son by a previous relationshipMiss Bohayczuk had been in a violent and abusive relationship with Smith

Miss Bohayczuk , who had a son by a previous relationship, had been in a violent and abusive relationship with Smith

'At 5pm the next day police officers attended in consequence of the phone calls from Imogen during the previous evening. But there was no response to their call as it appears obvious that by this point Imogen was already dead.

'It was only when the housing officer made the welfare call on her address which set in train the investigation. 

'When officers attended at the scene, they found a grim scene. Imogen had been laid on her bed, her body had been arranged as though she were a spectacle.

'Her arms were crossed and she appeared to be clutching a bottle of perfume. A soft toy was by her neck and there had been rudimentary attempts to clean the scene. 

'Her legs were crossed at the ankle, and on examination, the discovery was made that her body had been daubed, in nail varnish, with the words 'It was me'.

Police who arrived at Miss Bohayczuk's home found her arms were crossedMiss Bohayczuk was killed earlier this year

Police who arrived at Miss Bohayczuk's home found her arms were crossed and she appeared to be clutching a perfume bottle

'Chillingly an exhibition had been made of her body. It clear Smith had left and returned to the flat. It was a cruel humiliation of the victim to daub her body with the boast 'It was me'.'

A post mortem showed Imogen had multiple bruises on her face, jaw, scalp and neck consistent with attempted strangulation plus a series of stab wounds to her neck and body, one separating a rib bone and others penetrating her lung and heart.

After the killing Smith activated Miss Bohayczuk's phone with a new SIM card and used her bank card 38 times to buy alcohol from local shops and the account was found to be overdrawn by £400. 

He was arrested 24 hours after the body was discovered and admitted killing Miss Bohayczuk, saying he was drunk at the time and could remember why he attacked her.

After the killing Smith activated Miss Bohayczuk's phone with a new SIM card and used her bank card 38 times

After the killing Smith activated Miss Bohayczuk's phone with a new SIM card and used her bank card 38 times

Benjamin Knight, defending, said his client does not remember the stabbing itself but did recall placing her favourite perfume and soft toy on the bed.

He said: 'That was not to create a spectacle but placing her in some form of peaceful position, in his mind. He does not really recall what he was thinking, only that it seemed to be the right thing to do - although he accepts, objectively, that does not make any sense.'

In a statement, Miss Bohayczuk's mother Kim said: 'All her hopes and dreams were so brutally, cruelly and violently take from her. She had been full of hope for the future and her son will never know the healing power of her hugs and kisses.

'As he grows up, she will not be there to share his successes and comfort his disappointments. It just adds to our heartbreak and despair.'

amith was arrested 24 hours after the body of Miss Bohayczuk was discoveredSmith admitted killing Miss Bohayczuk

Smith was arrested 24 hours after the body was discovered and admitted killing Miss Bohayczuk

Smith who has previous convictions for assault, kidnapping and false imprisonment was ordered to serve a minimum of 17 and a half years.

Judge Patrick Field QC told him: 'It seems likely that you killed Imogen on or after February 18. That was the date when she called the police and she sent messages to a former partner complaining of being assaulted by you. There is no evidence of her surviving beyond that date.

'When her body was found on March 4 it soon became apparent that she met her death following a brutal and ferocious attack. She had received a terrible beating with bruises to her face and head and also to her upper limbs caused, no doubt, as she tried to fend off your attack.

'There was also evidence of strangulation. The fatal injuries were multiple stab wounds at least two of which were delivered with severe force.

Police arrived at Miss Bohayczuk's home in supported accommodation on this road in the Bardsley area of Oldham

Police arrived at Miss Bohayczuk's home in supported accommodation on this road in the Bardsley area of Oldham

'On her right leg you had daubed the words, 'It was me' in red nail varnish. This macabre graffiti is said to be some kind of confession by you; a sign to the police that you were responsible for the killing but I reject that notion utterly.

'If you had wanted to make clear to the police what you had done, you could have gone to them and told them. This act looks like an act of callous and cruel triumphalism.

'There was cruelty here because you desecrated the body of the woman you had just killed in order to proclaim what you had just done. This act is inconsistent with any immediate remorse on your part. 

'It is said that you laid Imogen out on her bed because that is what you thought was right. That is a grotesque irony. There was nothing that you did on that day that can be described as right.

'Imogen was a young woman when she died. She was the mother of a young child. In killing Imogen you have deprived that child of a mother and Imogen's parents and siblings have been deprived of a daughter and a sister. Their grief is palpable.' 

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o