Six months for man who carried out "violent assault" at bus station

Wednesday 25 October 2017

A 28-year-old man who punched one of his friends over 20 times in the face and body, in what the Relief Magistrate described as "the most violent assault carried out at 19:00 at Liberation Station," has been jailed for six months by the Magistrate's Court.

Pawel Krzysztof Podstawa was facing one charge of Grave and Criminal Assault for attacking his friend after they'd been watching the Air Display together.

Legal Adviser Laura Hallam told the court that the two men were walking to the bus station, and had been drinking vodka but were tipsy rather than drunk, when Podstawa became confrontational. After pushing his friend around and struggling with him, Podstawa punched him straight in the face. The court heard the man then fell to the floor and Podstawa punched him 18 times in the head and face before members of the public intervened. Podstawa then attacked his friend again, punching him another five times but not to the head before members of the public separated them again.

The legal adviser added that the victim had suffered bruising to his head, face, and arms. Podstawa's advocate Linda Helm told the court he couldn't understand why he had behaved the way he did. She added that Podstawa had explained there had been an argument but he couldn’t remember who started it or what it was about, only that he felt very angry. Advocate Helm said her client was "ashamed and remorseful for an uncharacteristic incident," adding that he didn't have any previous convictions.

She urged the court to consider a community service order explaining that Podstawa, who works in a tea room, needed to keep his employment to send money to his grandmother in Poland.

Handing out his sentence, Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu said: "This was the most violent assault carried out at 19:00 at Liberation Station. You hit your victim in the face, you then punched him 18 times and four times to the body (...) until members of the public intervened. You then attacked your victim again, you punched him and you kicked him again and he fell to the floor. You then got on top of him and punched him again. As you were being dragged away you were still trying to hit the victim again."

The Relief Magistrate noted that the assault took place in daylight hours, in a busy part of town with many members of the public around, including many children. He added that while Podstawa was of previous good character and had a good work record as well as references, the policy of the court was very clear. "Those who commit violence in the streets of Jersey will be sentenced to prison unless there are exceptional circumstances. I have considered everything said in your favour today and I cannot find there are exceptional circumstances. This was a vicious and prolonged attack."

He then sentenced Podstawa to six months in prison.