Man who stamped on victim’s head in alleyway attack jailed

Tomasz Dzieciol, aged 35, "forcibly" stamped on the man's head twice in Rutland Passage, off the High Street in Dudley, on December 17, 2019.

The defendant, who had previous convictions in his native Poland, entered the alleyway with the victim at 6.02pm and emerged alone seven minutes later alone, a judge was told.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard a passer-by noticed the victim, who seemed to be unconscious, near the entrance to the alleyway at 6.15pm.

The witness had walked away, before looking back to see Dzieciol "forcibly" stamping on the victim's head with his right foot and kicking the victim in the head, a court was told.

The passer-by ran into the Full Moon pub to call for an ambulance before he confronted the victim, saying "You've just stamped on him" to which the defendant replied "No, he is my friend", a judge heard.

The defendant, who had been seen leaving Betfred with the victim earlier in the day, was arrested and found to have heavy blood staining – belonging to the victim – on his shoes. In a police interview, Dzieciol explained he had been drinking but maintained he didn't know the victim.

'Danger'

The victim was left with swelling to his eye-sockets, cuts and lacerations to his scalp and lip, a nose bone fracture and a CT scan revealed he had suffered a subdural haematoma.

There was also a build-up of liquid in his lung which developed into pneumonia – and he was later diagnosed with post-traumatic amnesia, the court heard.

Dzieciol, of no fixed address, had pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent at a hearing on January 14 at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

The defendant had arrived in the UK in 2018 from Poland, where he had previous convictions including for burglary.

He was sentenced on Thursday to 10-and-a-half years with his normal licence period extended for three years due to being considered a danger to the public.

Judge Barry Berlin said: "You came to this country in 2018 and you have committed an offence on December 17, 2019.

"You denied assaulting him and you denied even knowing him and said the blood [on the trainers] was your own blood, not his blood.

"You have shown no remorse whatsoever and it's only now, after being shown the photographs [of the injuries the victim suffered] have you given some indication you are sorry. Well I do not accept that.

"I need to ensure the public are protected from your activities which have now begun in the UK having started in Poland. I have sentenced you to 126 months in custody, but you are considered to be a danger to the public. I extend the normal licence period by three years."