by The court heard he punched and kicked two women and killed half of his victims after they gave his friend the drugs he had paid for. Karl Young cornered the women in the stairwell of an apartment block and beat them with the help of accomplices Pawel Grzybowski and Leanne Rees.
A judge at Swansea Crown Court said it was clear the two women who were attacked were not “hardened drug dealers” and said Young used his physical strength to control them. One of the defendants failed to appear for the sentencing hearing and an arrest warrant was issued.
Matt Murphy, the prosecutor, said on March 2 this year Grzybowski met two women in Swansea and asked them to get him drugs. The women were given money and went into the Griffith Street flats in Dyfatty while Grzybowski awaited their return.
READ MORE: Crime scene mother ‘changed name, bought a boat, doctor’s ID was fake and scrubbed’
READ MORE: Trial of girl accused of attempted murder of school teacher and pupil abandoned due to jury ‘irregularities’
The court heard that after a while the defendant realized the women were not coming back with drugs, and when he met Young he explained what had happened. The two men and the third defendant Rees then began to search the flats for the women.
The court heard the group found the women in the stairwell of the block and Young “aggressively” demanded Grzybowski’s money back before launching a sustained attack on them which saw him repeatedly punch and kick the women. Grzybowski and Rees then joined the attack, with Grzybowski grabbing one of the women as she tried to flee while Rees kicked and stamped on one of the victims.
While the women were on the floor they searched their pockets. At one point Young removed the trousers of one of the women as she lay injured on the ground.
The defendants then left the scene but were identified by CCTV at the block of flats and were subsequently located and arrested. All three answered “no comment” to all the questions asked in their respective interviews.
The court heard that the victims of the attacks were “known to the police” but despite numerous attempts to contact them they had not contacted officers and provided no statements other than the initial disclosure made on the day of the attacks. attacks. Pawel Grzybowski, aged 36, of Princess Way, Swansea city centre, previously pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), and Karl Young, aged 42, of Beverley Gardens, Blaenymaes, Swansea, for two counts of ABH when they appeared in the dock for sentencing.
Leanne Rees, aged 36, of Brondeg Crescent, Manselton, Swansea, also pleaded guilty to one count of ABH but failed to attend the hearing. Grzybowski had one conviction for drink driving and Young had 17 previous convictions for 26 offenses including battery and common assault. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
Ieuan Rees, for Grzybowski, said he accepted his client was the catalyst for what happened but said his main concern was that he wanted his money back rather than seeking ” retribution”. He said the defendant was dealing with the death of his mother and that on the day in question he drank alcohol and then tried to find drugs, which he now “bitterly regrets”. He said Grzybowski was a qualified chef and said an immediate custodial sentence would affect his current university studies.
Ryan Bowen, for Young, said the defendant was “absolutely realistic” about the position he was in. He said the scaffolder was attacked with a hammer and as a result resorted to taking illicit substances, and said the client’s use of cocaine and Valium as well as alcohol had exacerbated his mental health problems. The barrister said Young had a 15-year-old son who was dependent on him.
Judge Catherine Richards said it was clear from the CCTV footage that she had seen that the two women who attacked the defendants were not “hardened drug dealers” and that Young had physical control over them and carried out a “sustained attack”. 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 enough to allow her to withdraw from an immediate custodial sentence. Young was sentenced to 20 months in prison with a one-third discount for his guilty pleas.
He will serve up to half of that sentence in custody before being released on license to serve the remainder in the community. Judge Richards said that because of Grzybowski’s role in the attack she was able to suspend the prison sentence due in her case. With a one-third discount for his guilty plea, Grzybowski was sentenced to 22 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete a rehabilitation course and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.
An arrest warrant was issued for the third defendant Rees.
This interactive tool allows you to check the latest crime statistics for your area
