Cage fighter and accomplice who beat man and left him to drown in Shannon appeal murder convictions

Two men convicted of murdering a 23-year-old Polish national in County Roscommon have appealed their convictions at the Court of Appeal. Leszek Sychulec, aged 35, with an address at Drinan, Ballymahon, County Longford, and Andrzej Gruchacz, aged 36, were found guilty by jury in the Central Criminal Court of the killing of Patryk Krupa on 20 June 2014 near Athlone. Both received mandatory life sentences in June 2016. The victim was assaulted, rendered unconscious, and subsequently drowned in the River Shannon. Evidence presented at trial included DNA recovered from Sychulec's belongings and witness testimony. During the appeal hearing, defence counsel for Sychulec challenged the identification procedures used by gardaí, arguing that witnesses were shown a single photograph rather than a range of images. Counsel for Gruchacz raised concerns regarding the admissibility of identification evidence and trial procedure. The prosecution contested these submissions. The three-judge panel reserved judgement.