Lawyer Paweł K. had his prison sentence reduced for causing a fatal 2021 traffic accident after the court ruled it was unintentional.
Appeals Court Decision
The District Court in Olsztyn announced on Thursday a verdict in the appellate proceedings against Paweł K., who was convicted in the first instance for causing a fatal traffic accident. The accused was sentenced in the second instance to one year and six months in prison for causing the accident. This verdict is now final. Additionally, a four-year ban on driving was imposed against him.
This means the court has mitigated the sentence. The court ruled that the accused unintentionally violated traffic safety rules due to inattention. The first instance verdict was handed down in April of last year by the Regional Court in Olsztyn. Paweł K. was then sentenced to two years’ unconditional imprisonment and a five-year driving ban.
Appeals by Both Parties
Both the defendant’s defense and the prosecution, as well as the representatives of the auxiliary plaintiffs – the families of the deceased women – appealed the April 2025 verdict. The defense requested the acquittal of the verdict and a retrial of the case, arguing that the first instance court issued the judgment after an incomplete evidentiary process. In his opinion, digital evidence concerning the behavior of the accused’s car at the time of the accident was not sufficiently analyzed.
The prosecution, on the other hand, demanded a harsher sentence – up to five years in prison and a ten-year driving ban. The representative of the victims’ families also supported this position, pointing to the defendant’s behavior after the accident and his public statements. The final arguments were presented on February 19. The court, however, postponed announcing the verdict until March 5, citing the complexity of the case.
Fatal Accident near Barczewo
According to the indictment, Paweł K., while driving a Mercedes on the Barczewo-Jeziorany road in September 2021, violated traffic safety rules. He allegedly crossed a double continuous line and entered the opposite lane of traffic. A collision occurred with an Audi 80 coming from the opposite direction. The woman driving this car and her passenger died at the scene.
Controversial Statement After the Accident
The case became widely known throughout Poland after a recording that Paweł K. published on the internet shortly after the accident. In it, the lawyer stated that the incident was a “confrontation between a safe car and ‘coffins on wheels'” and that this was why the women died. The statement, posted on social media, caused public outrage.
Cybercrime Alert
“This 17-year-old may not be the best murderer, but he definitely motivated me to act!” wrote a teenager from Gdańsk. Officers from the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime warn that similar posts are being published on various portals.