A 29-year-old Polish man has been sentenced to six years in prison after admitting responsibility for the manslaughter of his friend, Maciej Nowak, who died following a violent incident at a house in Co Tipperary on St Stephen’s Day in 2023.
Mr Tomasz Rozpeda, who had no fixed address, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court after previously pleading guilty to manslaughter. He had originally faced a murder charge in connection with Mr Nowak’s death, which occurred on or around 26th or 27th December 2023, at Ballycranna, Kilross, near Tipperary Town.
The court heard that Mr Nowak, aged 32, suffered extensive injuries to his head and neck. A pathologist concluded that he died from blunt force trauma and that the injuries were not consistent with being self-inflicted. Medical evidence also indicated that Mr Nowak’s head had been struck repeatedly, either with an object or against a flat surface.
During the sentencing, Justice Ms Eileen Creedon said the violence involved was significant. The court was told that Mr Nowak sustained 27 separate injuries and bruises to his head and neck, while there were around 70 areas of bruising across his body.
Mr Rozpeda had contacted emergency services in the early hours of 27th December, telling the operator that his friend had “gone crazy” and was hitting things and himself. However, the later medical findings did not support that explanation. When ambulance personnel arrived at the house at approximately 5.02am, Mr Nowak was found lifeless on the kitchen floor.
Evidence before the court showed that the two men, who were friends, had arranged to spend time together over the Christmas period. CCTV placed Mr Rozpeda in the area on the afternoon of St Stephen’s Day, and the pair were later seen at a service station before returning to Mr Nowak’s home.
The court also heard that both men had consumed alcohol and drugs that evening. Although toxicology results showed a high level of amphetamines in Mr Nowak’s system, this was ruled out as the cause of death.
Mr Rozpeda initially denied involvement and gave Gardaí an account that investigators said contained a number of falsehoods. The court heard that he later contacted Mr Nowak’s fiancée and said he had put him in hospital.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Nowak’s fiancée, Ms Joanna Biszof, described the devastating effect of his death on her and her children. The court was told that Mr Nowak had been due to marry her on June 27th 2024.
Ms Justice Creedon set a headline sentence of nine years, taking into account the level of violence and the seriousness of the injuries. However, she reduced the sentence to six years after considering Rozpeda’s guilty plea, his apology, his acceptance of responsibility, and the fact that he had no relevant previous convictions in Ireland.
The sentence was backdated to 28th December 2023, the date Mr Rozpeda first went into custody.
Leave a Reply