A 29-YEAR-OLD Polish man, Michal Kurowski, of Old Gallows Field, Tralee, has been found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter “in self-defence” of his lover’s husband after a First Holy Communion party in Tralee a year ago.
He had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Michal Skotak (32) at Racecourse Lawn, Tralee, on May 16th, 2009.
The majority 10:1 verdict was delivered yesterday after two hours 22 minutes of deliberation by the jury on the fourth day of the trial.
Mr Justice Paul Carney noted there was a written explanation by the jury, and that this was not customary. He asked that it be read out by the court clerk.
It read: “Not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter in self-defence. More force was used than was necessary, but no more force than the accused thought.”
Kurowski has been remanded in custody. An electronics graduate, he came to Kerry in September 2005. He will be sentenced on June 14th in Dublin, when the sister of the deceased man will arrive from Poland to give a victim impact statement.