The District Prosecutor’s Office has filed an indictment with the Regional Court in Jelenia Góra against 45-year-old Jelenia Góra resident Marek L. Investigators accuse him, among other things, of the murder with particular cruelty of his common-law wife Małgorzata R. and attempting to kill his daughter Aleksandra L.

Małgorzata R. and Marek L. had been in a common-law relationship for more than 20 years. Their daughter, Aleksandra L., was born from this relationship. They lived in Jelenia Góra.

For more than two years, family life for all three had not been going well. L. had been abusing alcohol for a long time. Since September 2014, domestic arguments had often occurred. L. repeatedly threatened to kill his common-law wife, manhandled her, smashed dishes and used vulgar language.

In April 2016, R. threw her partner out of the apartment. He soon returned, however, saying that he had undergone what is known as an alcohol-cessation implant procedure. The situation improved. For a month.

From June 2016, Marek L. started drinking again, initially hiding it from those closest to him. In July, Małgorzata R. ordered her common-law husband to leave the apartment and said that their relationship was over.

The defendant moved out and went to live with his mother. For three weeks, he had no contact with his family at all. Unfortunately, from mid-August, L. began harassing R. and their daughter again.

On September 4, Marek L. came to the victim’s apartment with his mother; he wanted to collect his belongings. Once again, he asked his former partner to forgive him and let him return home. R. firmly refused.

On September 6, at around 10 p.m., the woman went to bed. Her daughter fell asleep beside her. Around midnight, L. entered R.’s apartment by an undetermined means. He was carrying an axe and attacked his common-law wife with it. She woke up and began fighting the attacker. Then her daughter woke up, but did not recognize the assailant. She began screaming.

R. collapsed onto the floor as a result of the blow. Seeing this, Aleksandra L. instinctively grabbed her phone and ran toward the assailant, trying to stop him. Only then did she realize that the attacker was her father.

The daughter tried to pull the attacker away from her mother. She was then struck with the axe in the head, around the forehead, and subsequently in the back. After the attack, L. fled to her room and locked the door.

The defendant approached his daughter’s room and tried to lure her outside. Aleksandra L. stayed in the room and called the emergency services by phone.

Marek L. then returned to Małgorzata R. After a while, he left the apartment. He was arrested as he was leaving the building, covered in blood.

Both victims of the attack were taken to hospital. R. died several hours later. L. was seriously injured.

At the time of the incident, the assailant had a blood alcohol level of 2.1 per mille. L. pleaded not guilty. At the prosecutor’s request, the man was remanded in custody, and the detention was later extended by court decision.

The 45-year-old had no previous convictions. He now faces life imprisonment.