Courts / Kildare / Report
Slovakian father died after being repeatedly kicked in head by violent criminal
Summary
The Central Criminal Court heard on 9 December 2024 that Damian Szatkowski (38) pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Marcel Kusenda (48) on 8 March 2023. Kusenda, a Slovakian man who had lived in Ireland for 20 years, was found in his Newbridge home with severe head injuries after being repeatedly kicked and punched by Szatkowski, who had recently moved in. A post‑mortem revealed a displaced nasal fracture and a 15 mm subdural hematoma, with death caused by complications of blunt‑force head injury. Szatkowski, with 61 prior convictions, was arrested and denied intent to kill, claiming he had only punched once. The court adjourned sentencing to 17 February, noting the offence's high culpability and the defendant's remorse. The case remains pending.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Slovakian father died after being repeatedly kicked in head by violent criminal. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- 8 March Hearing Or Sentence
- March 8, 2023 Other
- March 10 Incident
- February 17 Adjournment
- 2024-12-09 Publication
Why: He said Mr Kusenda Snr had been "joking and messing" but the accused man got aggressive because of this, there was a sharp exchange of words and things got "pretty heated". CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: They said after they arrived in Ireland, they had to identify their brother before his life support machine was turned off. "We kept thinking about him and the horrible way he left this world," the sisters said in their statement. "We still carry the psychological trauma with us." Mr Baker told the court the Director of Public Prosecutions is of the view that the offence lies in the "high culpability zone" meriting a headline sentence of ten to 15 years.; Ms Justice Eileen Creedon adjourned the matter to February 17 for sentencing.
Places mentioned
- The Central Criminal Court
- Naas General Hospital
Topics
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