Olsztyn court fails to deliver appeal documents to lawyer convicted in fatal car crash, causing case delay.
Court Case Postponed Again
In Olsztyn, the appellate court process for Paweł K. has not yet begun. Last April, the Łódź lawyer was sentenced by the Olsztyn Regional Court to two years in prison for causing an accident that killed two women. Following the announcement of this non-final verdict, the prosecution, auxiliary prosecutors, and Paweł K.’s defenders all announced appeals. The appellate hearing was initially scheduled to begin in November, but the court granted a request from the full representative of the deceased families, Karol Rogalski, to postpone it because he could not attend the November session. A new date was set for January 15, but TVN24 has learned that the process could not start then either. The portal reported that a “curious court error” occurred.
Court Failed to Deliver Documents
The Olsztyn Regional Court has failed to deliver to Paweł K. the document acknowledging the acceptance of the appeal and copies of the appeals from the auxiliary prosecutors and the prosecutor since April. Adam Barczak, spokesman for the Olsztyn District Court, informed in a statement sent to TVN24 that the correspondence did not reach “the address indicated by the accused.” He also stated that no new court date has been set yet.
“Court Did Not Fulfill Required Formalities”
The representative of the deceased families told TVN24 in an interview that Paweł K. informed the court during the first instance proceedings that he had changed his address of residence. – I don’t know why it wasn’t picked up earlier. I’m not suggesting that it’s an intentional action by the court to prolong the case, but I am certainly very sorry for the situation of the women who lost their lives. The case, whose evidence forms a clear sequence of events proving the accused’s guilt, has been dragging on for over four years. This prevents the families from closing this tragic chapter in their lives – Rogalski said. He added that copies of all documents went to Paweł K.’s defense attorneys, so they must also have known the content of the appeal. – This does not change the fact that the court actually did not fulfill the required formalities – stated the lawyer.
Fatal Accident Near Olsztyn. Paweł K. Spoke of “Coffin on Wheels”
The accident occurred on September 26, 2021, near Olsztyn, on the Barczewo-Jeziorany route. Investigators determined that Paweł K., driving a Mercedes, crossed a double continuous line and collided with a correctly traveling Audi car. Two women in that vehicle died at the scene. After the accident, Paweł K. posted a video online. He stated in it that the accident was “a confrontation between a safe car and a coffin on wheels.” – And for that reason, those women died – he said.
