Appeal court in Rzeszów examines shooting case on Siemiradzkiego Street
The appeal court continues proceedings against two men accused of attempted murder of a flat owner in central Rzeszów in July 2022. The first-instance verdict was 10 and 8 years' imprisonment.
Appeal court in Rzeszów examines shooting case on Siemiradzkiego Street
A further hearing in the attempted murder case that occurred in summer 2022 in central Rzeszów has been scheduled for 21 September. Two men, each aged 28, appeared before the higher court following non-final verdicts from December of last year.
The incident occurred on 15 July 2022 on Siemiradzkiego Street. The flat's owner appeared with her family and a locksmith specialist to recover the property after terminating a lease agreement with one of the accused. When the specialist began to open the door, it opened from inside. One of the men used pepper spray, whilst the other fired a pistol at the owner's daughter. The woman sustained injuries to her hand and abdomen, which exposed her to direct risk of death. Her father was also attacked with gas.
At first instance, the court sentenced Sebastian Sz., who fired the shot, to 10 years' imprisonment, and Mateusz M. to 8 years. Both were ordered to pay jointly 300,000 złoty in compensation to the victim and 4,000 złoty each to her parents. The prosecution demanded harsher sentences — 15 and 13 years respectively. The defendants' legal representatives requested acquittal.
During the appeal hearing, which lasted over two hours, the court agreed to the evidentiary motions submitted by the prosecutors. Prosecutor Arkadiusz Jarosz applied to question people who had been held in custody with the accused. One of them was said to testify that Sebastian Sz. revealed details of the case to her. The defence did not object — in their view, witnesses had no opportunity to speak with the arrested men. The court intends to seek the opinion of the director of the penitentiary facility.
The defence counsel for Sebastian Sz. applied for the charges to be reclassified from attempted murder to reckless infliction of injury in lawful self-defence or for the verdict to be quashed and the case reopened. The defence counsel for Mateusz M. is demanding acquittal, challenging the allegation of joint action. He argues that his client's behaviour was an adequate response to an attempt to enter the flat.
The case file contains a recording from the victim's telephone confirming the sequence of events. Messages between the accused indicate that they planned to use weapons and gas. Experts determined both men were of sound mind and found no influence of alcohol or drugs. The victim suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Source: TVP Rzeszów.
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)