Seven years jail for Shropshire baseball bat pair

Two men who were among a gang of robbers who burst into a Shropshire man's home and attacked him with a baseball bat have each been jailed for seven years.

Rafal Zaborowski and Pawel Kulacz were found guilty of robbing Kamil Kowalweski. A third Pole, Marcin Kowalski, 34, of Gungrog Road, Welshpool, was cleared of robbery at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

Kowalski, along with 33-year-old Zaborowski, of Legge Street, Oswestry, and Kulacz, 35, of Sycamore Drive, Newtown, had all denied robbing Mr Kowalweski of cash, a mobile phone and a laptop computer at his home in Crestwood Court, Oswestry, on February 9 this year.

The men had been drinking heavily before the incident and Kowalski said he had no idea why he was at Mr Kowalweski's address or how he got there.

The trial heard Mr Kowalweski was woken from his bed as up to five robbers burst into his home and attacked him before stealing cash.

Mr Kowalewski told the court he was woken by the sound of smashing glass and went downstairs to find a group of men at his front door.

He said he was hit over the head with a plate and repeatedly jabbed in the face with a baseball bat in the raid.

Mr Kowalewski suffered cuts and bruising to his face and needed stitches.

Judge Peter Barrie told Zaborowski and Kulacz in sentencing them to seven years in prison each that he accepted neither of them used the baseball bat to injure Mr Kowalewski.

Judge Barried added, however: "It was a very frightening, harmful and violent offence and you, Kulacz, have a previous conviction for something similar in Poland."

Judge Barrie told the men they would both be liable for automatic deportation on their release from prison.

He also ordered the forfeiture of the baseball bat.