Posted on Tuesday 17 January 2023
Two men who preyed on a drunken woman in Darlington have been jailed after council workers spotted them on CCTV.
Camera operators from Darlington Borough Council became suspicious when they spotted two men sitting with an intoxicated woman in May, last year.
The CCTV control room continued to monitor the situation when they witnessed the men, who are now known as Adam Garczynski and Jakub Pulawski, touching the woman inappropriately.
Operators immediately rang for police assistance and officers arrived at the location within five minutes.
Garkcynski and Pulawski were arrested at the scene and later charged with sexual assault. They appeared at Teesside Crown Court this morning (January 17) for sentencing.
Both defendants, Adam Garczynski, 32 and Jakub Pulawski, 24, from Darlington were jailed for 22 months.
Detective Sergeant Christopher Weighill, from Darlington Volume Crime Team, said: “Garczynski and Pulawski are dangerous offenders who took advantage of the woman who was completely inebriated at the time of the assault.
“Thankfully, their predatory behaviour was quickly spotted by our colleagues at Darlington Borough Council, and we were able to get to the victim within minutes and make a swift arrest.
“We work closely with the CCTV control room in Darlington and often rely on their network of cameras to keep an eye on the town centre - they have certainly proved their worth in this case.”
Mike Renton, the council’s cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “This is a great result and a fantastic example of the police working closely with our CCTV staff to make the town centre feel safe. The message is clear - predatory and illegal behaviour will not be tolerated."
Anyone who has experienced abuse should call police on 101, or if you are in immediate danger call 999.
If you do not wish to speak directly to police, then please contact the Meadows Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 03333 448283.