A more severe sentence after an appeal: 30 years in prison for the murder of a priest in Kłobuck

Tougher sentence after appeal

On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal in Katowice announced a verdict that ends the loud trial regarding the tragic events at the rectory in Kłobuck. Tomasz J. was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of priest Grzegorz Dymek.

This is 10 years longer than the judgment of the District Court in Częstochowa, which in March this year sentenced the accused to 20 years in prison.

Dispute over intent to kill

During the trial, discrepancies emerged as to the motives of Tomasz J.

The court of first instance found that the perpetrator acted with the so-called possible intention to kill. The prosecutor's office had a different opinion and demanded a life sentence, claiming that the accused had a direct intention to deprive the priest of his life.

In turn, the defense argued that the priest's death was a tragic accident during a robbery.

Tragic events at the rectory

Tomasz J.'s trial began in December 2025. In his explanation, the accused admitted that he planned to rob the priest, but denied that he wanted to kill him.

However, the court's findings show that during the attack he tied the priest's hands with cable ties and then wrapped his head with foil tape, covering his mouth and nose.

"The cause of the parish priest's death was suffocation," it was stated in the justification for today's verdict.

The Court of Appeal found that the findings of the first instance court were correct, but the penalty imposed was too lenient considering the circumstances of the case.