Karate world champion murdered in case that has shocked city

A karate world champion has been found murdered following a strange case involving a row over repairs to his Porsche and the blackmail of a garage owner.

Anton Krivosheev, 25, disappeared on May 21 having left home as normal, with his car found in a supermarket car park in an unfamiliar area but no sign of him.

Four days later his body was discovered wrapped in a plastic bag in the suburbs of Novosibirsk, with five gunshots in his back and bruises to his face.

In a case that has shocked many, it has emerged he was killed by a 67-year-old car mechanic who had become driven to despair by the sportsman.

Evidence has emerged that the champion made constant demands about his Porsche, physically abused garage worker Nikolay Lebedev and blackmailed him for money.

The tragic tale began earlier this year when his girlfriend, Ekaterina Vishnevskaya, smashed the bumper on the car and took it to Lebedev, following a recommendation about his work on dealing with the part.

'She brought the bumper to Nikolay,' recalled Lebedev’s best friend Evgeny Khorkov. “The part was much damaged and there probably only half of it left. Nikolay at first did not want to take it, but she begged him and almost cried. He agreed to do this for 5,000 roubles (£93).

'Three days later, Ekaterina found a crack in it. It was only very small, about five millimetres, and possible formed after the repairs. She demanded her money back.'

The mechanic told her the crack was not his fault but offered to repair it. However, the woman did not agree and she then returned with Krivosheev, who complained about the workmanship.

Reports say that the karate champion threatened the mechanic, with Lebedev claiming: 'He is so picky. I took 5,000 roubles from him but he decided to 'fine me' 25,000 roubles.

'He said that if I did not give it to him tomorrow it would become 35,000 roubles. He began to beat me, and grabbed my throat. I only had 12,000 roubles. I went to get the money, and took the gun.'

According to police, Krivosheev left home in his car on May 21 but then disappeared and stopped responding to phone calls. His car was found in a supermarket where he did not have any friends and would not have visited for business either.

His body was found on May 25, wrapped in a bag near a holiday settlement for summer cottages in the suburbs of the city.

Acting police chief Vyacheslav Pevnev said the killer had used a 'lady’s gun', a Spanish Vesta, which a friend said had been given to him as a present 20 years ago.

Lebedev’s 34-year-old wife, Marina, said that her husband had been attacked by the Porsche owner but said she could never image him as a killer.

The couple have two sons and Nikolay spends much of his time on his hobby of building model ships. He often teaches this skill to his children and has won prizes for his models.

Marina said: 'When Krivosheev came to my husband, Nikolay had the money only to pay for the rental of his garage. Striking Nikolay, Anton had said, 'Give me everything you have now'.

'My husband went for the money, and not able to tolerate regular insults and humiliation, he grabbed the gun. Nikolay's friends, when they learned about this in court, were in shock that he did not even asked them for help.

'Moreover, just five minutes before the trial I have learned from the lawyer that since April Krivosheev had regularly beat my husband and demanded money. Details of the story are unknown to me, as I have learned about this only from the lawyers.'

She added: 'As soon as my husband was arrested, I was bullied in social media and some strangers wrote to my friends that they will do the same to me as my husband did to Anton. I had to take the children out of the city, and I now am asking the police for help and protection.'