Przemyslaw Stojko, a 38-year-old Polish man from Gloucester, was convicted of multiple serious offences including two counts of rape, common assault, and witness intimidation. The case, heard at Gloucester Crown Court, revealed a pattern of coercive control, violence, and sexual abuse inflicted upon a vulnerable woman who initially met Stojko to purchase cannabis.
The offences began in April and escalated through May and June 2017. Stojko first raped the victim between dates in April and May, followed by a second rape in June. During these incidents, he physically assaulted her repeatedly, leaving her with severe injuries including black eyes, a swollen jaw, bruises on her arms, legs, and breasts, and fractures to her 5th and 6th ribs. The victim described being punched more times than she could remember and being locked in Stojko's flat when he went out, fearing further beatings if she tried to leave.
- Stojko hacked the victim's Facebook account and posted explicit sexual videos and images of her, which her mother discovered in February 2017, shocking the family.
- In a bid to silence her, Stojko threatened the victim with a knife, demanding she contact the police to change her story and drop the case.
- The victim, who struggled with drug and alcohol issues, was found by police in a deteriorated state on multiple occasions, including emaciated with a bald patch on her head after the second rape, during which Stojko choked her by placing his elbow to her throat.
Prosecutor David Maunder described the case as a 'window into a world and style of life that we have no experience of and would not want to have,' highlighting the victim's vulnerability due to her personal circumstances involving substance abuse and emotional problems. Blood tests confirmed the presence of amphetamines, Ecstasy, cocaine, and cannabis in her system, which Stojko allegedly used to control her. The judge, Michael Cullum, noted the 'controlling and coercive nature' of Stojko's actions, emphasising the toxic environment of violence and repeated threats that prevented the victim from escaping, despite her attempts.
During the trial, which started on 11 December 2017 and concluded with verdicts after eight hours of deliberation over three days, harrowing evidence was presented to a jury of seven women and five men. The victim's mother provided poignant testimony about her daughter's decline, from a working family member to someone fully under Stojko's influence, battered and drug-dependent. Stojko, who called himself 'Mikey', claimed the relationship involved mutual unhealthy dynamics and that he was helping her quit crack cocaine, but the jury rejected his defence.
Stojko was sentenced on 20 December 2017 to 11 years imprisonment for each rape count, to run concurrently, plus six months concurrent for the assault and 12 months consecutive for witness intimidation, totalling 12 years. The prosecution stressed aggravating features such as the degradation through posting explicit content online, threats of violence, and exploitation of the victim's vulnerabilities. Extradition proceedings are ongoing against Stojko, which he is contesting. Defence barrister Sarah Jenkins acknowledged the unhealthy relationship but did not attack the victim. The case underscores the severe impact of coercive control in domestic and sexual abuse scenarios.