37-year-old Man Found Guilty Of Telford Sexual Assault
Speaking outside Shrewsbury Crown Court late yesterday afternoon, Detective Sergeant Mark Jones gave his thoughts
A 37-year-old Polish Man, Slawomir Wilczarski from King Street, Wellington was found guilty of a sexual assault that occurred on Sunday 23 January 2011.
The victim - a woman in her early 30s - was walking alone on a footpath at the rear of St Agathas Close in Dothill when the incident occurred in the early hours of that Sunday.
As the woman walked along the footpath, a man approached her from behind on a pedal cycle and pushed her to the floor. She was then sexually assaulted.
A local resident heard a commotion and came to the aid of the woman.
Speaking about the conviction, DS Jones, who is based at Malinsgate Police Station, said:
"I am very satisfied with the outcome at court today and hope that this conviction acts as some small consolation for the victim and her family.
"This was a particularly worrying attack as the young woman was deliberately targeted by this man and followed for some considerable distance.
"The offender carefully chose the moment to carry out this assault and had it not been for the intervention of a courageous member of the public - who was alerted to her screams and came to her assistance - I have little doubt that the consequences for the victim could have been far more serious.
"I would like to pay tribute to the courage and tenacity of the victim in this case, both during the Police investigation and also the court process. She has shown great dignity throughout this harrowing experience and I really hope that now this man has been brought to justice she will be able to start to move forward with her life.
"In addition, I'd also like to place on record my thanks to the officers in the investigation team who have worked tirelessly on the case for the past eight months.
"Whilst incidents of this nature remain extremely rare in Telford, I hope this conviction demonstrates that when they do occur, West Mercia Police are determined to catch those responsible to ensure that the region remains a safe place to live and work."
