Irish court to review murder conviction of Polish man over possible police misconduct

Leszek Sychulec, sentenced to life in 2016 for the murder of Patryk Krupa in Athlone, may get a new hearing after revelations that an investigating officer had alleged links to organized crime.

Irish court to review murder conviction of Polish man over possible police misconduct

An Irish appeals court has scheduled a new hearing for December in the case of Leszek Sychulec, a Polish former mixed martial arts fighter serving a life sentence for a 2014 murder in Athlone. His legal team requested the review after reports emerged that one of the police officers involved in the investigation may have had connections to an organized crime group.

Sychulec and co-defendant Andrzej Gruchacz were convicted in 2016 of killing 23-year-old Patryk Krupa. According to court findings, the two men assaulted the victim, who subsequently lost consciousness and drowned in the River Shannon. Both denied guilt, but a jury returned a guilty verdict based partly on CCTV footage and witness descriptions of the attackers. The conviction was upheld on appeal in 2018.

The defense filed a fresh application this year seeking disclosure of documents related to the officer in question. Publications have suggested the detective had ties to a criminal organization. If the officer is found to have been unreliable, or if the prosecution failed to disclose material information to the defense, Sychulec's lawyers may argue the conviction is unsafe.

Court records state that on the evening of 20 June 2014, Krupa was walking with two friends to a gym when a black BMW blocked their path. Two men exited the vehicle; one head-butted a friend of Krupa and ordered him to step aside. Krupa was then forced into the car, which drove away.

The victim's friends later found his body floating in the River Shannon near the M60 bridge. A post-mortem revealed severe injuries.

Source: Interia Wydarzenia

Source: Interia