Former priest faces trial for murder of homeless man in Poland

The trial of a former priest, Mirosław M., has commenced at the District Court in Radom. He is accused of the murder of Anatol C., a man experiencing homelessness, and a prior attempted murder.

The prosecution alleges the motive was a property dispute. Anatol C. had donated real estate to the priest in exchange for assistance in finding housing. The conflict reportedly escalated when the priest failed to meet the victim's housing expectations.

According to investigators, the murder occurred in July 2025. During a car ride, an argument broke out, leading the priest to stop the vehicle, strike the victim in the head with an axe from the trunk, douse him in gasoline, and set him on fire. The defendant also faces charges for an attempted murder three weeks prior, during which he allegedly struck the victim in the head on a rural road.

Psychiatric experts have deemed the defendant fully sane and criminally responsible. He faces a sentence ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment. While the defense requested a closed trial, the court granted privacy only during the defendant's testimony.