PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 24676/07) against the Republic of Poland lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a Polish national, Mr Tomasz Drużkowski (“the applicant”), on 22 May 2007.

The applicant was represented by Mr A. Namysłowski, a lawyer practising in Bydgoszcz. The Polish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr J. Wołąsiewicz of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The applicant alleged that his pre-trial detention and criminal proceedings exceeded a “reasonable time” within the meaning of Articles 5 § 3 and 6 § 1 of the Convention

On 23 June 2008 the President of the Fourth Section of the Court decided to give notice of the application to the Government. It was also decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility (Article 29 § 3).

THE FACTS

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE

The applicant was born in 1977 and lives in Toruń. He is currently detained in the Toruń Remand Centre.

On 20 November 2002 the Bydgoszcz District Court (Sąd Rejonowy) issued a “wanted” notice in respect of the applicant in view of the reasonable suspicion that he had committed a murder and had gone into hiding, thereby defeating attempts by the police to arrest him. The court also decided to remand the applicant in custody for a period of seven days from the date of his arrest.

On 13 March 2003 the applicant was arrested by the police. On 17 March 2003 the Toruń Regional Court (Sąd Okręgowy) extended his detention until 13 June 2003.

Subsequently, the Toruń Regional Court extended the applicant's detention on 4 June, 29 August and 8 December 2003. The court relied on the probability that a severe sentence might be imposed on the applicant and the fact that an arrest warrant had been issued during the time he had been in hiding.

His detention pending investigation was further extended by the Gdańsk Court of Appeal on 25 February and 28 April 2004.

On 31 May 2004 the applicant was indicted before the Toruń Regional Court. The act of indictment was directed against twelve persons. The applicant was charged with homicide.

The trial started in November 2004 and hearings were held at regular intervals. On several occasions the trial court found that the grounds for the applicant's detention remained valid and extended it.

On 23 February 2005 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal decided to extend the applicant's detention beyond the statutory time-limit of two years laid down in Article 263 § 3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Kodeks postępowania karnego).

On 8 December 2005 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal decided to further extend the applicant's detention. The court based its decision on the risk that he might interfere with the course of justice, given the severity of the penalty that could be imposed and the fact that he had been in hiding prior to his arrest in 2003.

On 12 May 2006 the Toruń Regional Court convicted the applicant and sentenced him to twelve years' imprisonment. The applicant would found guilty of having attacked a certain M.S., who was heavily under the influence of alcohol, in a billiards club, and beaten him, causing serious bodily harm and in consequence death.

The applicant lodged an appeal. It appears that the trial court transferred the case to the court of appeal nine months later. The Toruń Court of Appeal held a hearing on 6 April 2007.

On 27 April 2007 the court allowed the applicant's appeal and quashed the impugned judgment.

On 4 May 2007 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal extended the applicant's detention, finding that only detention would secure his attendance at the trial.

On 8 August and 14 December 2007 the Toruń Regional Court further extended his detention, observing that the grounds for detention were still valid. In its identically reasoned decisions the court relied on two grounds invoked previously: the severity of the penalty that might be imposed, which made it probable that the applicant would interfere with the proper course of proceedings, and the fact that he had been sought pursuant to a “wanted” notice in 2002.

At the hearings held on 7 March, 4 June, 12 September and 11 December 2008 the trial court further extended the applicant's detention. In every decision the court considered that the applicant's detention was necessary to complete the proceedings and that its length was in compliance with Convention standards.

On 18 February and 27 April 2009 the applicant's pre-trial detention was further extended on the grounds invoked previously.

On 12 August 2009 the Torun Regional Court convicted the applicant and sentenced him to twelve years' imprisonment. The applicant requested a reasoned judgment be delivered to him with a view to lodging an appeal. The trial court further extended his detention.

In November 2006 the applicant lodged a complaint under section 5 of the Law of 17 June 2004 on complaints about a breach of the right to trial within a reasonable time (Ustawa o skardze na naruszenie prawa strony do rozpoznania sprawy w postępowaniu sądowym bez nieuzasadnionej zwłoki) (“the 2004 Act”). However the applicant failed to pay the court fee of 100 Polish zlotys (PLN 100, approximately 25 euros (EUR)). On 19 December 2006 the Gdańsk Court of Appeal returned the complaint to the applicant unexamined.