A man who chased down and sexually assaulted a Stamford woman has been jailed and faces deportation.
Krystian Grzonka, 20, followed the woman as she walked home from a club in the early hours of the morning.
He was sentenced to four and a half years in a young offenders institution but will remain on license for another four years.
Lincoln Crown Court heard how Grzonka followed his victim for several minutes and chased her down before he put his arm around her neck.
The terrified woman was then pinned to the floor before he put his hand up her skirt and top.
CCTV showed how Grzonka stood around before following the woman purposefully.
The woman was seen walking home alone before she was attacked in the Rutland Terrace area of Stamford, close to residential housing at around 3:30am.
Grzonka, of Andrews Road, Stamford, denied the sexual assault which happened on May 20 this year but was found guilty by a jury.
In a moving victim impact statement which was read out in court, the woman described how she would have to live with the consequences for the rest of her life.
She said: “Not a day goes by when I don’t think about what happened and I know it will be like that for a long time.
“Since the attack my life has changed dramatically, I spent the first three months unable to go out alone.”
The woman added that she now suffers from nightmares and panic attacks, and carries a rape alarm whenever she goes out.
She also fears Grzonka returning to the area after he is released from prison.
Mark Watson, mitigating, said the man carried out the offence spontaneously after seeing the woman.
The court was told Grzonka had no previous convictions and carried out the offence after visiting a Stamford nightclub.
Mr Watson added: “This had not happened before. Other than that night he has been a positive contributor since arriving in the UK in 2016.
“He came with his parents and brother, his parents returned to Poland, but he sought his own way.”
Grzonka, who denied the offence during interview and did not give evidence in his trial, now faces deportation.
Passing sentence Recorder Christopher Donnellan QC said he was troubled by the lack of explanation for Grzonka’s actions and regarded his offending as dangerous.
Grzonka was told that his victim had noticed him following her and began putting 999 in her phone but changed her mind because she thought she was being over sensitive.
Moments later Grzonka put his hood up and ran after the woman.
“She was scared and ran as fast as she could,” the Recorder added.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!