MURDER ACCUSED
MAN KILLED UNCLE IN DRUNKEN ROW OVER RENT, COURT HEARS
A POLISH man appeared in court yesterday accused of battering his uncle to death in a drunken argument over rent.
Ballymena Magistrates Court heard that 36-year-old Marek Sinko was initially arrested and questioned about the death of 53-year-old Eugeniusz Sinko last October.
But it was only when police recently received a pathology report stating the cause of death was due to a “traumatic brain injury” the decision was taken to charge him with murder.
Standing handcuffed in the dock, Sinko, from the Townhill Road in Rasharkin, confirmed that he understood the single charge against him, namely that of the murder of his uncle on October 22 last year.
The body of 53-year-old Mr Sinko, a labourer who been living in the area for a number of years, was found in the front yard of the home he shared with his nephew.
In court, a detective gave evidence that he believed he could connect Sinko to the murder and described how the victim had suffered 63 separate injuries.
“It’s quite obvious that the victim here was in receipt of a serious assault,” claimed the officer.
He told the court Marek Sinko claimed to have struck his uncle five times in what he himself admitted was a “brutal” fight over rent money when the pair had been drinking heavily.
He further claimed that his uncle had gone outside to wash himself after the fight while he went to bed.
“That’s been disproved by the receipt of a pathology report which states that the victim would have been unconscious within minutes of the assault, if not sooner,” said the detective.
He added that police also had evidence of “some cleaning of the scene” in the blood-spattered kitchen and that the body of Mr Sinko “may well have been dragged from the kitchen to outside the house.”
Re-interviewed on Wednesday, the police officer said Marek Sinko maintained he struck the victim five times that he can recall.
Defence solicitor Stewart Ballantine said the defendant himself “acknowledges that this is a tragic case for this man and his family” and that “he had never any intention of hurting his uncle”.
Mr Ballantine claimed Sinko “immediately sought assistance” and had tried performing CPR himself “but unfortunately that was not successful”.
He argued that Sinko was suitable for bail given his clear record, good work record and the fact that he had been on police bail since October, “with a full history of compliance”.
Despite police objections Judge Broderick said he would free Sinko on his own bail of £750 with a surety in the same amount and imposed other conditions including a curfew.
But he was remanded in custody after the PPS said that they intended to appeal the judge’s decision.
While that appeal will be heard in the High Court, Sinko will appear again in the magistrates court next month.