❌MARTYNA OGONOWSKA – PETERBOROUGH❌
Appeal Rejected – 17-Year Sentence Upheld for Fatal Stabbing
Martyna Ogonowska, a young mother from Peterborough, has lost her appeal against a 17-year minimum term life sentence for the 2018 killing of Filip Jaskiewicz during a violent confrontation in a car park.
Ogonowska was just 18 at the time of the incident. She told the court she had been carrying a knife for self-protection following childhood sexual trauma. On the night in question, Jaskiewicz allegedly grabbed her by the throat, forcing her to her knees, and sexually assaulted her. In the midst of the attack, she stabbed him once, causing his death.
🔹 Background:
- Convicted of murder in 2019 at Cambridge Crown Court
- Handed a life sentence with a 17-year minimum term
- Appeal against conviction rejected in 2023
- Appeal against sentence rejected in 2025
🔹 Court Findings:
Judge Farrell QC accepted that Ogonowska had endured trauma, PTSD, and prior sexual abuse, but ruled that the killing did not qualify as self-defence because she had taken the knife to the scene. In sentencing, he reduced the minimum term from 25 years to 17 years to reflect her age and mitigating circumstances.
The Court of Appeal upheld that decision. Lord Justice Stuart-Smith wrote: “However we approach it, this was still a heavy sentence for a young person with the applicant’s attributes to bear; but on the judge’s findings this was a serious crime even after all allowances and mitigation is taken into account.”
🔹 Campaigners’ Concerns:
Justice for Women has described Ogonowska as a “double victim of a misogynist justice system.” Advocates argue the case raises serious questions about how rape myths and trauma are handled when alleged victims become defendants. Harriet Wistrich of the Centre for Women’s Justice wrote that the case “raises serious questions about whether prosecutors are following their own guidance.”
🔹 Judge’s Sentencing Remarks:
Farrell acknowledged the impact of:
- Ogonowska’s PTSD and childhood trauma
- Bullying and relocation from Poland
- Post-natal depression and integration difficulties
But he ultimately concluded the crime was too serious for a shorter term.
The ruling means Ogonowska must serve at least 17 years before being considered for parole.