Man admits killing friend in 'moment of madness'

A Polish national who admitted killing his friend “in a moment of madness” while he was intoxicated, is to be sentenced later.

Last March, Mariusz Jarosz (aged 31) of Fitzherbert Wood, Navan pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of David Mazur (aged 25) at The Glebe, Cherryvalley, Rathmoylan in Co Meath on January 6, 2011.

Mr Brendan Grehan SC prosecuting told the Central Criminal Court the plea was acceptable to the State.

The court heard Mr Mazur, who worked as a kitchen porter but had done some acting in Poland, died from a single stab wound to the chest.

The events happened after a number of people were celebrating Little Christmas in the house. A number of Polish nationals were living in the house at the time, the court heard.

Detective Sergeant Mark Daly told Mr Grehan that no real explanation for the stabbing was given by Jarosz who has two previous convictions.

He said Jarosz, who was intoxicated at the time, claimed to have no memory of the event and the only witness was another Polish national.

When he was charged with murder he said: “No, because I don’t remember… I want to know why I got a charge of murder”.

The court heard road conditions were very icy that night but the ambulance arrived at 1.35am.

It brought Mr Mazur to James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown for treatment but he was pronounced dead at 4.30am.

Gardai from Trim garda station became involved at 1.05am and they arrived at the house at 2am where they met with three foreign nationals.

They said the accused was intoxicated and it had been suggested that Mr Mazur had fallen on a knife while Jarosz was making sandwiches in the kitchen.

The court also heard Mr Mazur was making a documentary about Polish people in Ireland.

Gardai became aware one of the residents had taken photos of the injured man to use in the documentary, as they did not realise how serious his injuries were.

Mr Michael O’ Higgins SC defending said his client’s instructions do not vary from what he told gardaí – that he had no recollection and that it was “a moment of madness”.

He said he “regrets it with all his heart”, was “extremely remorseful” and had instructed him to apologise on his behalf.

Under cross-examination Det Sgt Daly told Mr O’Higgins agreed that a witness said Jarosz had lent the deceased €500 euro towards the payment of a fine he had incurred from not transferring vehicle insurance.

The court heard Jarosz said he needed the money for his son’s birthday and that the conversation took place reasonably approximate to the event.

Det Sgt Daly agreed with Mr O’ Higgins that Jarosz came from south Poland to Ireland in 2005, had worked as a mechanic and got other people employment.

Mr O’ Higgins said his client had two previous convictions – one for assaulting his former partner with whom he has a child and one for drink driving.

He said there were two letters from the prison chaplain who wrote that Jarosz’s difficulties stem from the use of alcohol and that he will give up drinking from now on.

A victim impact report was read to the court on the behalf of the deceased’s man’s brother Lukasz, who had travelled from Poland with his mother for the hearing.

Mr Mazur described the day they heard about his brother’s death as “the worst day of our lives”.

“Time heals everything they say but it is not true…death takes away all of the colour of the world. Since that day our lives have fallen apart,” he added.

He told the court his grandmother is 95 and has still not been told about his brother’s death, as she is very frail.

He said a story they were originally told about his brother being impaled on a knife “seemed absurd from the beginning”.

Mr Justice Paul Carney remanded Jarosz in custody and is to sentence him next Monday.