A stalker who pursued a shop worker with persistent messages and compliments – some of which were delivered with the assistance of Google Translate – has been ordered to stay away from her.
Krzysztof Blazejczyk, 58, harassed the woman – who was 30 years younger than him – and repeatedly made unwanted contact with her.
The Polish national used Google Translate to type out a message, which he then passed to her at her Aberdeen workplace, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Blazejczyk‘s solicitor said the construction worker’s isolation during the covid pandemic has “perhaps skewed his thinking process”.
Fiscal depute Tom Proctor said Blazejczyk first approached the woman in the Co-op store in Rosehill Drive in the summer of 2020 when he passed her his mobile phone with a message pre-typed out on it.
‘Hello lovely’
“It stated that she was a pretty lady and that he was interested in her,” the fiscal said. “It also stated ‘don’t be angry with me but can I get your number?’
“She passed the mobile back to him, shook her head and said ‘no’.”
The woman spent the next few months avoiding him when he came into the store but in October 2020 she received a friend request on Facebook, which she immediately declined before blocking him.
But in April 2021 she received a private message over Facebook.
It read: “Hello lovely. Before you block me, read everything.”
Mr Procter said the message was then “lost in translation” but essentially said he “wouldn’t write normally but he wanted her to write back and for her to unblock his other account on Facebook”.
Repeatedly told to leave her alone
The woman’s work colleagues repeatedly told Blazejczyk to leave the woman alone but in August 2021 he sent her a further message saying “Ola” with a heart emoji.
Four months later, just before Christmas, another message arrived: “Hello lovely. I was supposed to never write again. With you, I would learn quickly.
“I will teach you to drive a car if you don’t drive. I would like to help you.”
He told her where he lived before continuing: “When you are nearby I can come back after. I wish you a happy holidays.”
The shaken woman called the police at this point and Blazejczyk was cautioned and charged.
He admitted a stalking charge.
His defence agent Gregor Kelly said Blazejczyk now knew the communications were “wholly uninvited”.
Used internet to translate messages
“There was an age difference of about 30 years,” he added. “It should never have happened.
“He maintains that during the pandemic he was isolated in this country. All he had was work friendships in the construction industry which shut down for a short spell.
“On his shopping expeditions, he saw thing young lady and attempted to communicate with her.
“In essence, he attended the store in the summer of 2020. He has clumsy messages on his phone which he used Google Translate for, calling her pretty and asking if she wanted a friendship.
“In retrospect, it was rather clumsy and immature and that’s not underestimating the effect on this young lady.
“The Covid isolation perhaps skewed his thinking process.”
The solicitor added that Blazejczyk no longer goes near the shop in question and has “no intention” of contacting the woman again.
Sheriff Gary Sutherland told him: “It’s a serious matter and no doubt would have been very distressing for the young woman involved.”
He handed Blazejczyk, of Brierfield Terrace, Aberdeen, to 90 hours of unpaid work and a one-year supervision order.
He must also keep away from the woman and the Co-op store in question for one year.
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