An unrepentant domestic abuser who turned his violence upon his partner’s defenceless dogs has been jailed for more than a year.
Pawel Lukaszewicz, 37, carried out a horrific catalogue of violence upon his former partner over a four-year period, where he threatened to kill her on several occasions in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Lukaszewicz called the woman a series of derogatory names, slammed her arm in a door and shoved her to the ground, causing a head injury.
It was also stated that Lukaszewicz also became violent with the woman’s four French bulldogs, regularly striking them to the body and back legs.
The court was told the animals were so frightened of him they would often urinate whenever he approached. One of the dogs also developed epilepsy, which a vet attributed to stress.
Accused verbally and physically abused woman
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told the court that on July 1 2019, Lukaszewicz and his then-partner moved with her children to an address in Hilton where the couple would argue.
On one occasion, Lukaszewicz was pushing the woman and calling her a “slut” and a “whore” and was making threats to kill her when he slammed a door shut on her arm, causing injury.
During another altercation in 2022, Lukaszewicz began acting in an aggressive manner, calling the woman derogatory names and again making threats to kill his partner.
The woman’s daughter recorded some of these incidents, where Lukaszewicz also makes a threat to kill his partner‘s brother.
While the couple were separated in August 2023, and while Lukaszewicz was living elsewhere, he turned up at the woman’s house and an argument ensued.
During it, he pushed her to the ground causing her to cut her head.
In October of that year, the pair had been out together for the day when Lukaszewicz threatened to “smash” the woman’s head and made further threats to kill her.
Lukaszewicz would ‘smile and laugh’ as he hurt dogs
At this time the woman owned four French bulldogs, which Lukaszewicz regularly mistreated by striking them to the body and back legs.
“This sometimes caused them to limp or struggle to walk due to how hard the accused would strike them,” Mr Middleton told the court.
The fiscal depute added: “Often when the accused walked past a dog, the dog would urinate on the floor and shake due to being scared of him.
“After this, he would strike them and put them outside for a number of hours despite them whimpering to get back inside.
“One of the dogs developed epilepsy, which a veterinarian advised could have been caused by stress.”
Mr Middleton added that Lukaszewicz “always appeared to have fun” while mistreating the dogs and would “smile and laugh” as he did it.
In the dock, Lukaszewicz pleaded guilty to one charge of carrying out a course of conduct that was abusive to his former partner and a further charge of causing animals unnecessary suffering.
Sheriff described accused as ‘cruel’
Defence solicitor Mike Monro conceded that his client’s “attitude to the complainer is perhaps not a healthy attitude” and stated that Lukaszewicz did not fully accept his guilt in some respects and claimed the couple had been “play fighting”.
“I’m not in any way trying to minimise this matter,” Mr Munro said, adding: “Thankfully, the injuries are not as serious as what we sometimes see, but it must have been very frightening for the complainer.”
In relation to the woman’s dogs, Mr Munro told the court that Lukaszewicz claimed that the dogs were “not appropriately house trained” but “knows how serious this matter is”.
Sheriff Lesley Johnston told Lukaszewicz that he inflicted abuse upon his partner which had a “profound impact” on her and who “continues to suffer mental and physical” to this day.
“It’s clear to me that you continue to show very limited remorse and in my view, you sought to blame the complainer for your actions,” she said.
No alternative but prison
The sheriff described Lukaszewicz’s treatment towards the four dogs as “cruel” and said he “again showed almost no remorse”.
She added that Lukaszewicz even told a social worker that he would “behave that way again and that he believes that was a good way of training dogs”.
“I consider that there is no alternative to a custodial sentence in this case,” Sheriff Johnston concluded.
She jailed Lukaszewicz, of Atholl Street, Dundee, for 13 months and put a non-harassment order in place, meaning he cannot approach his former partner for 10 years.
The sheriff also banned Lukaszewicz from keeping animals for five years.
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