Woman, husband, and lover sentenced to 25 and 20 years for meat-tenderizer murder of grandfather in Gdańsk

The attack

At roughly 6 a.m. on 2 February 2025, 78-year-old Józef D. was walking to church along ul. Młodzieży Polskiej in the Brzeźno district of Gdańsk. Dawid Z., then 20 years old, ran up to the elderly man and struck him more than a dozen times with a meat tenderizer, concentrating the blows on his head and face. Józef D. died from the injuries sustained. Police received a report of a "scuffle between men" at about 6:30 a.m., and when officers arrived, they discovered the man's body with severe head trauma.

At the indicated location, officers found the body of an elderly man who had head injuries.

Gdańsk police press officer podinsp. Magdalena Ciska confirmed the details later that morning. The same day, three suspects were taken into custody.

The tangled relationships

The victim's 25-year-old granddaughter Angelika N., her 26-year-old husband Kamil N., and their child had moved in with Józef D. because the couple could not afford their own place. Cramped conditions sparked continuous family conflict. At the trial's opening on 12 January 2026, Dawid Z. described how he met Angelika less than three months before the murder and began an affair. He pleaded guilty immediately, stating that he was infatuated with her.

I was head over heels in love with her. She was very important to me.

He said Angelika convinced him to kill her grandfather by claiming the old man had been watching her while she was naked. The three defendants then met on the beach to plan the killing, with Kamil N. assigned as the lookout while Dawid Z. carried out the beating.

The verdict

The Gdańsk District Court handed down its decision on 10 July 2026. Prosecutors had sought convictions for murder with particular cruelty, citing a motivation deserving special condemnation, but the judges opted for the basic murder charge. Angelika N. and Dawid Z. each received 25-year prison terms; Kamil N. was sentenced to 20 years. The ruling is not legally final, meaning both sides can appeal.

Her words that her grandfather had been watching her naked convinced me to do it.

What happens next

Because the verdict is not final, the defence teams and the prosecution have a window to lodge appeals. No immediate comment was available from the defendants' legal representatives. If the sentences stand, Angelika N. and Dawid Z. will be eligible for parole when they are in their late 40s, while Kamil N. will be eligible in his mid-40s. The case has drawn wide media attention for the brutal weapon used and the involvement of a love triangle.