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Drimnagh devastated by Polish murders

Thursday, 06 March 2008

The community of Drimnagh was left devastated last week by the brutal killing of two young Polish men who were stabbed to death. Marius Szwajkos (27) from Szczecin and 29-year-old Pawel Kalite from Suietokrzysky died as a result of injuries they sustained after a row with a group of teenagers on the Benbulbin Road on Saturday, February 23 at about 7pm. Mr Szwajkos died in St James’s Hospital on Monday last while Mr Katwel died in the same hospital last Thursday after being in a critical condition. The men were living with three other Polish nationals in a house on Benbulbin Road just metres from the crime scene. They had been living and working in Ireland since last summer. They went to buy food on Saturday evening and became involved in a verbal row with several teenagers outside a row of shops after they refused to buy alcohol for them. One of the teenagers left the scene and came back with a screwdriver. Mr Szwajkos was stabbed in the head while Mr Kalite was stabbed in the throat. The friends had moved to Ireland from Poland to look for work more than a year ago. A 16-year-old youth who was arrested by gardaí investigating the murders was released last Friday. Two other teenagers, aged 19 and 15, were also questioned by gardaí earlier last week and were released without charge. Files will be sent to the DPP in all cases. Hundreds of local people attended a silent vigil at the scene of the attacks on Benbulbin Road on Saturday evening last. St Patrick's Athletic Football Club also held a minute's silence on Friday last during their pre-season friendly with Blackburn Rovers, in solidarity with the deceased men’s families. Both victims' families arrived in Ireland from Poland last week. In a statement read out on behalf of the Kalite family on the RTE Radio 1 Today With Pat Kenny show last Friday, a Polish journalist said the family did not believe the killings were racially motivated and that they could have happened in any other country. Local parish priest in Drimnagh, Fr Martin Cosgrove told Southside People the murders had had a “devastating” effect on the local community. “The families of these two men must be totally devastated by what has happened,” he said. “It is also having a devastating effect on the whole community here. We are very resilient and people have worked hard to build up the community for well over 60 years. But all the same this has taken a great toll.” Dublin South Central TD Mary Upton (Lab) said the killings highlighted the need for the implementation of programmes aimed a tackling the root causes of crime and anti-social behaviour. “Poverty needs to be eliminated, good quality education must be universally available, and sports and recreation facilities must be made available for young people and children in every community,” she said. Bank account details for those who wish to contribute to a fund for the victim's families are : Kalita/Szwajkos Fund NSC 93 36 27 Account no:14065184 AIB Bank, Irish Farm Centre, Naas Road, Dublin 12.