A brutal attack took place on May 3, 2026, in the courtyard of one of the tenement buildings in Legnica. 43-year-old Marcin P., under the influence of alcohol (nearly three per mille), attacked his neighbour with a folding knife. He inflicted at least four blows, including to the neck and back.

The case ended up before the District Court in Legnica. On August 13, 2026, the court found Marcin P. guilty and sentenced him to four years in prison. The man must also pay the victim PLN 15,000 in compensation.

Neighbours’ conflict ended in a knife attack

Marcin P. and the victim lived in the same building in Legnica and had known each other for some time. They were in conflict. Their disputes involved both verbal altercations and physical violence.

On May 3, at around 5 p.m., a social gathering was taking place in the tenement building’s courtyard. The victim and three other men were attending. At one point, P. came out of the building after returning from a match. He was under the influence of alcohol.

An argument broke out between the men. They grappled, insulted one another and fought. At one point, the 43-year-old’s mother intervened, pulled her son away and returned with him to the flat.

There, the two of them heard the sound of windows being smashed. P. and his mother believed that the victim was responsible for breaking them. During the proceedings, however, it was established that the windows had been damaged by unidentified minors.

The defendant’s mother called the Police, but ultimately decided not to file a report concerning the damage to property.

He returned to the courtyard with a knife

After a short time, Marcin P. left the flat again. This time, he was carrying a folding knife with a blade approximately 9 centimetres long.

The victim was sitting at a table in the courtyard, with his back turned towards the entrance to the building. Having run out of the gate, Marcin P. covered the distance of several metres separating him from his neighbour.

One of the gathering’s participants tried to warn the victim, but he did not have time to turn around. The 43-year-old attacked his victim by surprise, stabbing him at least four times in the upper back and neck area.

The victim tried to defend himself, but was unable to effectively repel the attack. One of the men present stopped the further blows by standing up and pushing the attacker away.

Marcin P. then fled to his flat. There, he told his mother that he had killed the victim. He also called the emergency number himself, informing the dispatcher that he had killed a man.

The injured man was taken to hospital

After the attack, the victim fell and was bleeding heavily. His wife tried to stop the bleeding. An emergency medical team arrived at the scene and transported the injured man to hospital.

At the same time, police officers went to Marcin P.’s flat. The defendant opened the door for them. He was holding a knife. At the officers’ instruction, he put it down and was then arrested.

He told the police that he had attacked his neighbour in retaliation for — as he believed at the time — breaking the windows and insulting him.

A breathalyser test showed that Marcin P. had 2.93 per mille of alcohol in his system. The victim was also under the influence of alcohol — his level was approximately 2.44 per mille.

Wounds near the spine

As a result of the attack, the victim suffered four stab wounds. Two of them were located around the neck and extended to the cervical spine.

The injuries impaired the functioning of a bodily organ and caused a health disorder lasting more than seven days. At the same time, the manner in which the blows were inflicted and their location exposed the victim to the direct danger of loss of life or serious bodily harm.

The man had to undergo surgery and was treated in the neurosurgery ward. The wounds were in the immediate vicinity of the spine, posing a threat to his life.

43-year-old admitted to the attack

During questioning as a suspect, Marcin P. admitted committing the alleged offence and gave an explanation.

The 43-year-old had no previous convictions. After his arrest, he was placed in pre-trial detention. He is unmarried, has two children, has primary education and no profession. He supported himself through odd jobs in construction.

Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment

At the beginning of July 2026, the District Prosecutor’s Office in Legnica filed an indictment against P. It accused him of directly attempting to cause the victim a serious illness posing a real threat to his life by inflicting at least four knife blows. He failed to achieve his objective because of the intervention of a third party.

The act was classified as a felony. It carried a penalty of between 3 and 20 years in prison.

Court sentenced him to 4 years in prison

The case was heard by the District Court in Legnica. On August 13, 2026, the court found Marcin P. guilty of the alleged offence.

The 43-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison. The court also ordered him to pay PLN 15,000 in compensation to the victim.

The Prosecutor’s Office deemed the sentence justified.