Vicious Edinburgh man caught on 'cat-cam' attacking family pet in living room
A vicious Edinburgh brute who abused his partner and tortured the family cat has been warned he faces a jail sentence.
Pawel Twardowicz carried out a shocking campaign of abuse against former girlfriend Paulma Wilk by assaulting her and controlling her movements and repeatedly accusing her of cheating on him.
Twardowicz, 42, also prevented the terrified woman leaving him when he used large screws to secure the front door of their former home.
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Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the violent thug was also caught carrying out horrific attacks on the family pet after he had installed a cat-cam in his living room.
The footage was said to be so distressing that a sheriff agreed to allow the court clerk, security staff and an interpreter to leave the room before it was played to the court.
The camera footage showed Twardowicz attacking the defenceless cat named DJ by repeatedly battering it to the face and body and on one occasion locking the animal in a crate and violently shaking it for a prolonged period.
The hotel maintenance worker 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 when he appeared at the capital court last month.
The Polish national was back in the dock for sentencing on Wednesday where Sheriff Charles Walls agreed to defer sentence further for an additional report from a domestic abuse organisation to be prepared.
But Sheriff Walls said Twardowicz should be aware that despite calling for the new report he could still be facing custody.
Sheriff Walls said: “What I am inclined to do is defer again and continue this for a report from the Caledonian Men’s Project.
“But I want to be clear in asking for that I have not closed my mind to any of the sentencing options but it is appropriate for me to have a full range or options available to me.”
Defence agent Paul Dunne told the court most of the abusive and violent incidents were captured on the cat-cam his client had installed himself at the former family home.
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Mr Dunne said Twardowicz 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”.
Referring to the cat-cam, Mr Dunne said: “He must have known this was all going to be discovered.”
Court papers state Twardowicz abused his partner by repeatedly shouting and swearing at her, demanding she obey him, uttering sexual comments towards her and commenting on her appearance and the clothes she wore.
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Twardowicz, of Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, also repeatedly contacted her when she was out with friends, repeatedly tracked her movements and accused her of infidelity.
The court complaint also stated Twardowicz seized Ms Wilk by the face and applied pressure, repeatedly struck her to the body, threatened to spit in her face and prevented her leaving their home by putting screws in the front door.
Sentence was deferred to later this month.