A drunken boyfriend attacked his partner – before injuring three police officers called to arrest him. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard police were sent to an address in Chell at 10.30pm on December 16, 2023 after Slawomir Szewerniak launched his assault.
At one point, he used a chair to strike her. Prosecutor Lee Stone said: “It was reported that the defendant had assaulted her by striking her, hitting her across the back with a wooden garden chair.
“It spilled out on the street. The defendant resisted an officer when they attempted to arrest him. Two other officers had to become involved. They suffered injuries.”
The court heard Szewerniak’s girlfriend had a swollen cheek and a bruised left eye. One officer had a mark on his arm and a scratch on his leg and a second had a cut hand. The 45-year-old defendant, who has no previous convictions, was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
Szewerniak, of Standerfoot Place, Chell, pleaded guilty on the day of trial to assault by beating, resisting a police officer and two charges of assaulting an emergency worker by beating.
His pleas were on the basis he had an argument with his partner and it spilled out on to the street. He held her by the neck as he tried to get her back in the house and does not dispute he struck her with the chair. He tried to run away from the police. He resisted arrest and accepts two officers were involved in the struggle.
Peter Howland, mitigating, said Szewerniak and his partner are still together. He said she did not contact the police and did not make any complaint. Mr Howland said: “They were two alcoholics living together. From time to time it gets noisy. The neighbours had enough and called the police.
“It was on December 16, 2023. He has not been charged with any further offences and he had no charges before that. She did not make a complaint. She is not supportive of the prosecution. She is subject to a community order with an alcohol treatment requirement.
“He came to this country in 2007 and is a hard working individual. He got injured at work as a site manager. He has not been able to work for three years. He takes comfort in the bottle. But he realises that can go too far.”
Magistrates sentenced Szewerniak to a two-year community order with a Building Choices programme, a rehabilitation activity requirement for 15 days and a six month alcohol treatment requirement. He was ordered to pay £175 to one officer and £75 each to the other two as well as £400 costs and a £114 surcharge.
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