Edinburgh man 'barricaded ex in bedroom at their flat by screwing the door shut'

A vicious Edinburgh brute who abused his former partner and tortured the family cat has been ordered to stay away from his victim and banned from keeping animal for five years.

Pawel Twardowicz, 42, assaulted and abused his ex by striking her to the body and threatening to spit in her face during repeated incidents over a three year period. Teardowicz also tracked the the woman’s movements while she was out socialising with friends, accused her of cheating on him and repeatedly made sexual comments towards her during the abuse.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told one occasion saw the violent offender barricaded her in a bedroom at the couple’s flat by screwing the door shut to prevent her leaving. The court was told Twardowicz also carried out shocking attacks on the family cat named DJ by repeatedly striking the pet to the head and locking the terrified animal in a crate and violently shaking it.

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The hotel maintenance worker was snared after his attacks on the woman and the animal had been captured on a cat-cam he had installed himself at his home at the capital’s Wester Hailes. The footage was so distressing that Sheriff Charles Walls agreed to allow the court clerk, security staff and an interpreter to leave the room before it was shown to him when Twardowicz pleaded guilty earlier this year.

Twardowicz appeared at the capital court for sentencing on Monday where Sheriff Walls said: “Your course of conduct against your partner lasted for three years and was appalling and culminated in you barricading her in a bedroom against her will.

The sheriff added: “You have come very close to being imprisoned for these offences.

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“However on balance I am just prepared that there is an alternative course of action that will punish you and deter behaviour of this type.”

Twardowicz was sentenced to a non-harassment order banning him from having any contact with his former partner for seven years and has been prohibited from keeping animals for five years. He was also placed under supervision for two years, told to carry out 260 hours of unpaid work and must attend sessions with the domestic abuse organisation Caledonian Mens Programme.

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Sheriff Walls also imposed a restriction of liberty order where Twardowicz will have to wear an electronic tag and stay within his home address between 7pm and 7am for the next four months. Lawyer Paul Dunne, defending, had previously told the court his client was “horrified by his behaviour” and had felt “totally emasculated” at the time of the offending due to losing his job.

The lawyer added he had “taken it out on his family” and his actions were “a form of physical and emotional bullying”. Twardowicz pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of conduct that was abusive of his partner at three addresses in Edinburgh between November 1, 2020 and December 3 last year.

He also admitted to a charge of causing a protected animal unnecessary suffering between September 1 and December 6 last year.