Three years on, families still mourn the senseless killing of a young couple so full of promise

On the three year anniversary of the killing of Chelsea Ireland and Lukasz Klosowski, their families says grief is still part of every day.

When Chelsea Ireland’s father Greg watches his daughter’s friends graduate from university and embark on their careers it fills him with pride and happiness, but he can’t help but wonder what mark his own little girl could have left on the world.

Chelsea and her boyfriend Lukasz Klosowski, both 19, were shot and killed by Lukasz’s father Pawel after he flew into an alcohol-fuelled rage at a property near Mt McIntyre in the state’s South-East three years ago this week. The 47-year-old killer is in prison serving a sentence of at least 34 years.

“A lot of her friends have graduated, or are graduating, and while we are really happy for the kids it does break your heart,” Mr Ireland, of Semaphore South, said.

He said that the Ireland family – himself, his wife Debra and their daughter Maddie – were all dealing with the grief of losing their beloved daughter and sister differently.

“Debra actually travels to work on the other side of the city each day, and she can’t listen to the radio or listen to music. It’s too much of a trigger because both Chelsea and Lukasz loved their music.”

Mr Ireland, on the other hand, will play music in the background while he’s working from home and lean in to the memories it conjures up.

“If I have a trigger, I just sort of go with it,” he said.

“And you know, it brings back fond memories, but also pain. You have a good days and bad days, and within those days you have good moments and bad moment.

“It’s not linear and you think you’re doing okay and then there’s something that triggers you and you just get knocked back months. Yeah, the general trend is … on a gentle incline, but then something impacts you and it’s just a free fall.”

Maddie, Greg and Debra Ireland in a picture taken on the first anniversary of Chelsea’s death. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Mr Ireland said his daughter Maddie was still, three years on, struggling to cope with the senseless loss of her sister.

“She has a group of friends that are fantastic,” he said.

“They understand what she’s gone through and they are very supportive, beautiful kids. Maddie’s friends and Chelsea’s friends are just absolutely amazing.”

It’s the senselessness of Chelsea’s death that Mr Ireland often finds difficult to comprehend.

He said he tries hard not to think about the day of Chelsea and Lukasz’s death, but still often finds it weighing on his mind.

“It’s just it just does not make sense at all,” Mr Ireland said of the night of August 22, 2020.

“I mean, to take the life of your own son is incomprehensible – 99.99 per cent of the population couldn’t even dream of doing something like that. So there is a lot of senselessness there, a lot of ‘why’.”

Lukasz Klosowski and Chelsea Ireland. Picture: Supplied By Family

Mr Ireland said both Chelsea and Lukasz had huge hearts and were well known for putting others before themselves.

He said Chelsea had a strong desire to protect the environment, something she had hoped to turn into a career after university, while Lukasz was loved for his big personality.

“I was only thinking about that cheeky little bugger the other day,” Mr Ireland said.

“He was a loveable kid that loved his music and was always happy. He reminded me a lot of myself at his age, which is why I think we bonded really well. He was studying journalism, or something along those lines, and wanted to become a musical journalist. That was where he wanted to go.”

Mr Ireland said the two families remained close, leaning on each other for support.

On this week’s anniversary of the tragedy the two families left Adelaide and travelled to the Clare Valley to spend some away from the city and sit quietly with their grief.

“And we have three of Chelsea’s friends coming around this (Friday) evening to pay us a visit, including one that’s come back from Melbourne. They’re coming around for dinner and we do see Chelsea’s friends occasionally, which is really nice. To reminisce about the things they did together and were going to do. That’s the nice part, to remember.”

Lukasz’s mother Magda Pearce said two things gave her hope and courage in the aftermath of Lukasz and Chelsea’s death - her son Ricky and her role with Breakthrough Mental Health. Picture: Supplied.

Lukasz’s mother Magda Pearce said two things gave her hope and courage in the aftermath of Lukasz and Chelsea’s death – a new career that allowed her to help others and, most importantly, the unquestioning love of her son Ricky.

“When Lukasz and Chelsea died he had just turned four,” Ms Pearce said.

“He put on himself a role of being my saviour. All he wanted to know was that his mum was going to be OK. It really broke my heart.

“When he started school I was really struggling and I didn’t really want to socialise, I didn’t have time for small talk. If he was playing and I wasn’t looking happy he would stop playing to come and check on me. Then I thought that I really didn’t want to be doing this – I just wanted him to be a child and play with his friends.”
Then Ms Pearce started a job organising fundraising events for Breakthrough Mental Health.

“That job has been a saving grace for me,” she said.

“For Ricky to see his mum going to work every day, like all the other mums, has been wonderful and it makes me so happy that he can have a normal childhood.

“The aguish and the heartache never ends, it’s with me every day, but I’m so proud of the work I’m doing now with an incredible team.”

Ms Pearce said Ricky still talks about his big brother in the present tense, and was very proud of the young man Lukasz was.

“I have photos of them all around the house, and I still wonder how this was all possible,” she said.

“Things like this don’t happen to ordinary people like us.

“But to go away with Chelsea’s family – this is the second year we’ve gone now – really helps. Just to sit and remember.”

Originally published as Three years on, families still mourn the senseless killing of a young couple so full of promise