Man punched and kicked two women before removing victim's trousers (original) (raw)
A man punched and kicked two women and half stripped one of his victims after they didn't give his friend the drugs he had paid for, a court has heard. Karl Young cornered the females in the stairwell of a block of flats and beat them up with help from associates Pawel Grzybowski and Leanne Rees.
A judge at Swansea Crown Court said it was clear the two women who had been attacked were not "hardened drug dealers" and said Young had used his physical strength to dominate them. One of the defendants failed to turn up for the sentencing hearing and an arrest warrant was issued.
Matt Murphy, prosecuting, said on March 2 this year Grzybowski met two women in Swansea and asked them to get drugs for him. The women were given money and they disappeared into the Griffith John Street flats in Dyfatty while Grzybowski waited for their return.
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The court heard that after a while the defendant realised the women were not coming back with drugs, and when he met up with Young he explained what had happened. The two men plus the third defendant Rees then began searching the flats for the females.
The court heard the group found the women in a stairwell of the block and Young "aggressively" demanded Grzybowski's money back before launching a sustained attack on them which saw him repeatedly punching and kicking the women. Grzybowski and Rees then joined the assault, with Grzybowski grabbing one of the women as she tried to flee and Rees kicking and stamping on one of the victims.
While the women were on the floor their pockets were searched. At one stage Young removed the trousers of one of the women as she lay injured on the ground.
The defendants then made off from the scene but were identified from CCTV at the block of flats and subsequently located and arrested. All three answered "no comment" to all questions asked in their respective interviews.
The court heard that the victims of the assaults were "known to the police" but despite numerous attempts to contact them they had not engaged with officers and had not provided any statements other than the initial disclosures made on the day of the assaults. Pawel Grzybowski, aged 36, of Princess Way, Swansea city centre, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), and Karl Young, aged 42, of Beverley Gardens, Blaenymaes, Swansea, to two counts of ABH when they appeared in the dock for sentencing.
Leanne Rees, aged 36, of Brondeg Crescent, Manselton, Swansea, had also previously pleaded guilty to one count of ABH but failed to turn up for the hearing. Grzybowski has one previous conviction for drink-driving while Young has 17 previous convictions for 26 offences including a battery and a common assault. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
Ieuan Rees, for Grzybowski, said it was accepted his client had been the catalyst for what what happened but said his main concern had been seeking the return of his money rather than seeking "retribution". He said the defendant was dealing with the death of his mother and on the day in question had consumed alcohol and then tried to source drugs, something he now "bitterly regrets". He said Grzybowski was a qualified chef and said a sentence of immediate custody would impact on his current studies at university.
Ryan Bowen, for Young, said the defendant was "entirely realistic" about the position he was in. He said some 12 months ago the scaffolder had been attacked with a hammer and as a result had resorted to taking illicit substances, and he said his client's use of cocaine and Valium as well as alcohol had exacerbated his mental health problems. The barrister added that Young had a 15-year-old son who depended on him.
Judge Catherine Richards said it was clear from CCTV footage she had seen that the two women attacked by the defendants were not "hardened drug dealers" and Young had physically dominated them and carried out a "persistent assault". She said there was an element of degradation in Young removing the trousers of one of his victims.
Judge Richards said she accepted Young was now remorseful for what he had done and said there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation but said that was not sufficient to allow her to draw back from imposing an immediate custodial sentence. With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Young was sentenced to 20 months in prison.
He will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Judge Richards said given the role Grzybowski had played in the assault she was able to suspend the prison sentence that was due in his case. With a one-third discount for his guilty plea Grzybowski was sentenced to 22 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and was ordered to complete a rehabilitation course and do 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.
An arrest warrant was issued for the third defendant Rees.
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