Kitchen-knife robber to be deported

Thursday 25 May 2017

A 32-year-old who used a 12cm kitchen knife to rob the owner of Temple Stores in January has been sentenced to four years in prison and deported back to Poland.

Pawel Dzielak, who said he needed money at the time of the robbery, stole between £300 and £400 from the store. He used it to pay for hotel nights to avoid being caught by the Police, as well as food, beer and cigarettes.

The Court heard that Dzielak went to Temple Stores on 5 January between 19:00 and 19:30. He had his hood up and approached the counter, holding a large knife in his right hand, which he slammed on the counter, before saying to the owner, "Open the till" and, "Give me all the money quickly!"

He was handed between £300 and £400. He then took the owner's iPhone, as well as a landline handset, which he dumped in a flowerbed on Chevalier Road. As he was running out of the shop, the owner heard him say, "Sorry."

Dzielak was arrested on 10 January. He first denied having robbed Temple Stores, giving "no comment" answers when shown CCTV footage of the shop. He later admitted the offence saying: "It was me, I did it... I took a knife went to the shop and was three hundred quid and I take [sic]."

He explained that he had specifically targeted the shop because it was on a quiet street and his escape would be easier. He added that he had considered robbing a different store close to the Millennium Park, but had preferred Temple Stores because the owner was male.

When asked if he regretted it, he replied: "Not really no. Maybe I regret that I get caught," adding that he didn't feel sorry for the owner.

Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit suggested a five-year sentence, stating that, "...violent robbery cannot be tolerated and there should be a significant prison sentence." He added that the use of the knife was a major aggravating feature, as was the pre-planning.

Dzielak's Advocate, Lauren Glynn, argued that her client had had an unhappy childhood, and that at the time of the robbery Dzielak was socially isolated and had reached a particularly low point in life, at which he was contemplating suicide. She stated that the Crown's recommendations were too high and suggested a four-year sentence.

Royal Court Commissioner, Julian Clyde-Smith, who was sitting with six jurats, agreed with Advocate Glynn and handed down a four-year sentence. They also followed the Crown Advocate's suggestion to deport Dzielak back to his native Poland as, "...his continued presence is detrimental to the Island."