The District Court in Łódź sentenced 35-year-old Sylwester M. to 28 years in prison for the brutal murder at a tram stop in March 2024. The defendant set fire to a sleeping, random man and idly watched his agony. The court found the perpetrator guilty, emphasizing the exceptional ruthlessness of the act, though it refrained from imposing a life sentence due to the attacker's previously clean criminal record.

28-Year Prison Sentence

The court imposed a high prison sentence, with eligibility for conditional release only after 20 years.

Perpetrator's Particular Cruelty

Sylwester M. set the victim on fire using a lighter about thirty times and watched as the man burned.

Compensation for the Mother

The defendant must pay 50,000 Polish złoty to the mother of the murdered 36-year-old Paweł J.

Diminished Mental Capacity

The court accepted expert opinions on the defendant's limited understanding of the act as a mitigating circumstance in refraining from a life sentence.

On Wednesday, February 25, 2026, a high-profile verdict was delivered in the case of a shocking crime that occurred nearly two years earlier on the grounds of a Łódź student housing estate. The District Court in Łódź found Sylwester M. guilty of committing murder with particular cruelty. The crime took place on the night of March 19-20, 2024, on Pomorska Street. The victim was 36-year-old Paweł J., who had fallen asleep on a bench at the tram stop. As evidence, including CCTV footage, showed, the defendant approached the victim multiple times. Initially, he struck the man and took his hat, only to return after a brief absence with the intent to take his life. Investigators established that the perpetrator used lighters close to thirty times to successfully set the victim's clothing and body on fire. The convicted man not only started the fire but also observed the burning man from close range for an extended period, making no attempt to rescue him. Forensic medical experts confirmed that Paweł J. died as a result of extensive burns and tissue charring, which involved unimaginable suffering. Judge Agnieszka Szeliga, justifying the sentence, indicated that while the act deserved the highest condemnation, the court decided on a 28-year prison sentence instead of life imprisonment. Mitigating circumstances taken into account included the defendant's previously clean criminal record and expert opinions on his diminished mental capacity at the time of the act. In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Sylwester M. to pay 50,000 Polish złoty in compensation to the victim's mother. The convict will only be eligible to apply for conditional early release after serving 20 years of the imposed sentence. The verdict is not yet final, and the defense has already announced an appeal. Throughout the entire trial, the defendant did not admit to the arson, despite incriminating video recordings and the three functional lighters, the tools of the crime, secured from him.

Mentioned People

  • Sylwester M. — 35-year-old perpetrator of the murder, sentenced to 28 years in prison.
  • Paweł J. — 36-year-old victim of the arson at the tram stop.
  • Agnieszka Szeliga — Presiding judge at the District Court in Łódź.
  • Krzysztof Kopania — Spokesperson for the District Prosecutor's Office in Łódź during the investigation.