Drug smuggler urged attack victim to drop claim in secret note from prison

Sunday 06 September 2020

A drug smuggler, who tried to get a woman to retract her claim that he had attacked her in a clandestine note penned while in custody, has been jailed for 20 months and will later be deported.

Polish national Przemyslaw Czarnecki (36) admitted to playing a role in bringing 451g of cannabis resin worth £9,000 into the island via the post on 27 June 2019.

He was filmed by Customs officers, who had replaced the real package with a dummy, visiting a property in Queen’s Avenue and taking a photo of the parcel on his phone.

In interview, he admitted to being involved in the importation but was picking up the parcel on behalf of someone else. That individual has recently been prosecuted separately by the Royal Court.

But the importation charge was the start of Czarnecki’s offending.

Just over a month later, on 4 August last year, he assaulted a woman, which included an open-handed slap and spitting in her face, during a 90-minute argument.

Pictured: The victim of the assault was helped by a Street Pastor.

Crown Advocate Emma Hollywood told the court: “Following the assault, the complainant called out for help in the hope that [someone] would come to her aid; however, no one did.

“She then left [the property] and wandered around the streets in town and at one point spoke to a Street Pastor, who then telephoned the police on her behalf. The Street Pastor observed that she 'looked distressed' and as though she was 'in flight mode … trying to get away from something or someone.'"

Later that day, Czarnecki was arrested. He told the Police: “I slap her in the face, she slap me…” The next day, he was remanded in custody.

While at HMP La Moye, Czarnecki attempted to use some visitors to smuggle a handwritten note out of the prison, which was a draft retraction that the woman should use to admit that her original statement was untrue. 

He had also managed to make 31 telephone calls from prison - some of which appeared to be attempts to convince the woman to withdraw her statement. 

Pictured: Czarnecki tried to smuggle a note out of HMP La Moye, which was a draft retraction for his ex-girlfriend.

This, together with being caught with the letter, meant that Czarnecki had also committed the serious offence of trying to pervert the course of justice.

Defending, Advocate Giles Emmanuel said that Czarnecki had no previous convictions and was hard-working and respected by colleagues. 

He also argued that Czarnecki should not be deported because he was close to his brother and his family, who also lived in the island.

But the Bailiff, Timothy Le Cocq, who was sitting with Jurats Thomas and Hughes, disagreed.

“We have read letters that say you are a hard worker and we accept that this was out of character,” he told Czarnecki.

He added that the Court appreciated that the injuries suffered by the woman "were not serious", but noted that the consequence of such an attack can cause "psychological scarring", which is "often much deeper."

Czarnecki was subsequently sentenced to 20 months in prison - most of which he has already served while on remand - and ordered his deportation upon release.