Polish woman found guilty of murder in harbour drowning trial - Arklow, Co. Wicklow

smurf 38 | 1940

30 Jul 2016 / #1

A 29-year-old woman has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a man by driving him into a harbour, where he drowned.
Marta Herda was a good swimmer and knew that her passenger could not swim, when she drove her Volkswagen Passat through the crash barriers at South Quay, Arklow shortly before 6am on March 26th, 2013.

It's a bit like the story from Germany last week where the guy killed the Polish girl becasue she rejected him. This time however a Polish woman killed a Hungarian guy becasue he was in love with her.

Very sad.

Full Story
irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/marta-herda-found-guilty-of-murder-in-harbour-drowning-trial-1.2737278

It looks like he was obsessed with her and she cracked, if she'd pleaded guilty I bet she'd have gotten off with manslaughter too. Personally if I'd been on the jury I'd have found her guilty of manslaughter, I think she knew what she was doing but had cracked under the pressure. Then again, it looks like it was premeditated so that instantly means it's murder in common law.

Chemikiem

30 Jul 2016 / #2

I think she knew what she was doing but had cracked under the pressure

It does sound that way doesn't it.

it looks like it was premeditated so that instantly means it's murder in common law.

She had the car window open enough for her to get herself out, so she must have planned that part of it.
She was taking a huge risk though, what if she had got trapped trying to get out? Anything could have gone wrong, so I think she must have been quite desperate to take that course of action.

I'm not saying that the police could have done much, but she should have reported his behaviour towards her, if not stalking, it's definitely harassment.

Very very sad for all concerned :-(

OP smurf 38 | 1940

30 Jul 2016 / #3

She was taking a huge risk though, what if she had got trapped trying to get out? Anything could have gone wrong

yea, I totally agree with you on that

but she should have reported his behaviour towards her, if not stalking, it's definitely harassment

Certainly, and the cops at home take a dim view of stalking and it's pretty east to get a restraining order. Don't know why she didn't change jobs and get away from him tbh. I mean she was a waitress and waitress jobs in a busy town like Arklow are ten a penny these days.

Chemikiem

30 Jul 2016 / #4

pretty east to get a restraining order

That's what I would have done, but then it's easy for me to say that. Perhaps being from Poland, she didn't know what the police could and couldn't do, or if they would taken her complaints seriously. Still, you would think that friends would have pushed her to report him, because I'm sure others around her would have known what had been going on. So sad, because if she had done this there may have been a totally different outcome.

Don't know why she didn't change jobs

Short of moving out of the area, and she may not have found it that easy to get a job somewhere else, he probably would have tracked her down.

Sounds like he was obsessed and he probably would have made it his mission to find her.