Courts

Woman (39) jailed for killing man she was in ‘volatile and violent’ relationship with

Sandra Sandaraite said she picked up knife and stabbed Zbigniew Czech in Navan, Co Meath as she feared being ‘battered’

Ms Justice Caroline Biggs said Sandra Sandaraite’s relationship with Zbigniew Czech had been a 'toxic' one
Paul Neilan
Mon Jul 29 2024 - 16:35

A woman who stabbed her on-off partner to death, claiming that she would have been “battered” had she not picked up a chef’s knife to defend herself, has been sentenced to 5½ years in jail.

At the Central Criminal Court on Monday, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs said Sandra Sandaraite’s relationship with Zbigniew Czech had been a “toxic” one with alcohol consumption making it “volatile and violent”.

Sandaraite (39), of Academy Street, Navan, Co Meath, was originally charged with Mr Czech’s murder at the same address on December 10th, 2022. However, her plea to manslaughter with the use of excessive force in self defence was accepted by the State in March.

Gardaí found Mr Czech covered in blood on a stairwell at the apartment block on Academy Street after Sandaraite told emergency services she had discovered his body. She initially denied any involvement in his death and said she did not know Mr Czech despite having been in an “on-and-off” relationship with him for years.

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Ms Justice Biggs identified nine years’ imprisonment as a pre-mitigation headline sentence for manslaughter. She said she would discount three years for Sandaraite’s early plea and personal circumstances. She suspended the final six months for two years to encourage her rehabilitation. The sentence was backdated to December 2022, when Sandaraite went into custody.

During a sentence hearing last week, the court heard her relationship with Mr Czech (47) was framed by “excessive consumption of alcohol” and that Sandaraite had presented in hospital with “broken bones” and had been punched “several times”.

Sandra Sandaraite has been jailed for the manslaughter of Zbigniew Czwch. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins

In her first interview with gardaí, Sandaraite said Mr Czech’s death meant there was “one less motherf***er in the world not around to ruin some young girl’s life”. Sandaraite told gardaí she had lost her job and family because of Mr Czech and she had “no tears” for him.

“I feel free now,” she told them.

Ms Justice Biggs said the three-year on-off relationship between the pair had given rise to 24 complaints from both sides to gardaí about violent acts. She said Sandaraite claimed Mr Czech became violent after drinking vodka and began “pushing and grabbing” her.

Sandaraite said she took the knife to “intimidate” Mr Czech before stabbing him. Ms Justice Biggs said the knife was found in the deceased man’s hand and “no coherent explanation” had been offered by Sandaraite for this. She noted that despite protection and safety orders being secured by Sandaraite against Mr Czech, they frequently met to drink in what the judge said was a “toxic” situation.

She noted that Sandaraite had said she thought she was going to be beaten up and had been in hospital many times and felt “she would be dead” if she did not defend herself. Ms Justice Biggs said the history of domestic abuse suffered by Sandaraite “must have informed her mind” when she took the knife.

Ms Justice Biggs said that, as a chef, Sandaraite must have had professional knowledge of knives. She said Sandaraite had introduced a “lethal weapon” to the situation in “self-preservation and self-interest” when reacting to Mr Czech’s actions in the context of his physical abuse.

Ms Justice Biggs said Sandaraite claimed she “truly” understands the pain she has caused to the family and friends of Mr Czech, which “weighs heavily on her mind”. The judge noted Sandaraite’s low risk of reoffending, the early guilty plea, her remorse, good work history, lack of previous convictions and that she was doing “exceptionally well in prison”.