Jealous ex-boyfriend from Southsea jailed for menacing behaviour to woman including stroking knife on face and beating victim

Jilted Damian Kurylowicz, 27, failed to accept his three-year relationship was over, sparking a violent spree of offences including smashing his ex-partner in the face, putting his knee on her neck so she struggled to breathe and locking her in a room.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how Southsea construction worker Kurylowicz went round to the woman’s Fratton address at 7.50am on September 8 last year after she had split up with him.

‘They were having an argument over who she was seeing when he slapped her in the face,’ prosecutor Richard Sedgwick said.

‘He then stroked a knife down her face and said: “I’m sorry, I’m going to have to cut you if you don’t tell me the truth.” He believed she was seeing other men.’

The victim managed to call police who turned up and recovered a ‘large knife’.

The court was told how prior to the incident at around 2am, Kurylowicz had also turned up at her address and ‘pushed his way in’.

During police interview he denied the victim’s account and said she was ‘making it all up’.

The defendant was bailed by police but breached his conditions by going to the woman’s address in November and then on December 16 at 9.50am.

‘The victim was shouting for help after she came running out of her house saying he was going to kill her,’ Mr Sedgwick said.

‘He had locked her in the bedroom and grabbed her jumper which ripped and cut her, punched her and put his knee on her neck.

‘When he was located nearby Mr Kurylowicz denied what had happened and said she had punched herself.’

The victim, in a statement read out to court, said: ‘I’m afraid to be alone with him. He can be violent.’

The court was also told of separate offences involving drugs where Kurylowicz was caught red-handed by police.

On December 18, 2019, the defendant was stopped by officers while driving his Audi in Havant before they found nearly £1,700 worth of cannabis and an extendable baton he said was for ‘protection’.

A search of his Elm Grove address then resulted in four MDMA tablets being seized.

Kurylowicz pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault by beating, possessing an offensive weapon, possession of a class B drug with intent to supply and possession of a class A drug.

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Recorder Robin Sellers said the female victim was left in ‘fear you would turn up’ with the knife threat described as ‘disturbing’.

‘A home is somewhere you are meant to feel safe. She doesn’t,’ the recorder said, before adding: ‘You have a poor compliance with orders, therefore I have no confidence to deal with you by way of a community order.’

Kurylowicz was then locked up for 15 months.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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