Former parish priest goes on trial in Radom over axe murder of homeless man

Trial opens in Radom

The trial of Mirosław M., a former parish priest from Przypki in the Tarczyn municipality, opened on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, at the Regional Court in Radom. Mirosław M. faces charges of murder committed with exceptional cruelty and an earlier attempted murder of his homeless acquaintance, Anatol C. Although he previously confessed during the investigation and expressed remorse, the defendant retracted his confession in court on Wednesday and altered his defense strategy. The defense requested that the entire trial be held behind closed doors, but the court restricted confidentiality solely to the questioning of the defendant. Judge Stanisław Olchowy presided over the hearing, during which the defendant stated on the record that he is unmarried and has one child. Following a prosecutorial motion citing the risk of obstruction, the court extended the defendant's pre-trial detention.

Indictment details fatal assault

According to the indictment read by prosecutor Andrzej Stojak, the fatal incident occurred in late July 2025 during an argument inside the priest's vehicle. Investigators established that Mirosław M. halted the car, retrieved an axe from the boot, and struck Anatol C. repeatedly in the head, inflicting six distinct head wounds and severe internal bleeding. The defendant then poured gasoline over the victim and set him on fire before driving away. Forensic examinations confirmed that the victim died from these injuries alongside extensive thermal trauma across his body.

He then doused Anatol C. with a flammable substance, which he ignited, causing the victim to suffer second- and third-degree burns covering the head, torso, upper and lower limbs, which led to the death of the victim.

Eyewitness testimony and initial attack

A passing cyclist, Marcin L., arrived at the scene shortly after the attack and served as the prosecution's key eyewitness. Marcin L. testified that he illuminated the defendant's face with his bicycle light as Mirosław M. rushed back into his car to escape. The witness memorized the vehicle registration numbers and recorded them in his mobile telephone before attempting to extinguish the flames with soil from a nearby field.

I saw a burning person on the ground. I started throwing soil from the adjacent field over him. I saw that this man was already dead. I made a call to the emergency number.

Investigators also uncovered an earlier attempted murder that took place on 5 June 2025, approximately three weeks prior to the fatal attack. During that initial incident, Mirosław M. stopped his car on a dirt track and instructed Anatol C. to inspect the engine before striking him on the head, inflicting a four-centimeter occipital wound. When a local tractor driver appeared nearby, the priest aborted the attack, transported the victim to the presbytery, and told paramedics that the car's tailgate had fallen accidentally. A subsequent prosecutorial reconstruction disproved this explanation, concluding that the priest used the same axe kept in his boot.

Property dispute and procedural schedule

The conflict originated from a property donation agreement in which Anatol C. deeded real estate to Mirosław M. in exchange for assistance in securing suitable permanent housing. Investigators concluded that the inability to find acceptable accommodation led to rising friction, with the priest becoming frustrated by the victim's demands. Court-appointed psychiatric experts evaluated Mirosław M. during the pre-trial phase and found no symptoms of mental illness, declaring him fully competent to stand trial. The defendant faces between 15 years in prison and life imprisonment. The court scheduled the next hearing for 21 October 2026.