Courts / Dublin / Report
Life Sentence for Polish Man who Murdered Girlfriend
Summary
A 46‑year‑old Polish welder and mechanic, Waldemar Solowiow, was found guilty of murdering his 37‑year‑old girlfriend, Mary Ryan, who was discovered unconscious in his Dublin bedsit on 18 May 2012. Ryan died from neck compression and blunt force trauma to the head. Solowiow pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, claiming a physical fight the night before and that he did not intend to kill her. He admitted slapping, pushing and grabbing her, and that she fell onto a coffee table and hit her head. Gardaí had been called to the flat on several occasions due to the couple's drunken behaviour. The Central Criminal Court heard that Solowiow had initially told authorities that Ryan had been assaulted by three men the previous night, a story he later abandoned. The jury, after four and a half hours of deliberation, returned a majority verdict of 11 to 1, finding him guilty of murder.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Life Sentence for Polish Man who Murdered Girlfriend. Charges or matters: murdering her but guilty to her manslaughter. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 18th Hearing Or Sentence
- 2013-10-31 Publication
Why: He said that he asked if she wanted to go to the hospital because she was holding her head, but that she told him to fuck off. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: murdering her but guilty to her manslaughter (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed the mandatory life sentence on Solowiow, backdating it to his arrest on the day after he murdered Ms Ryan.
Places mentioned
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