Back On Streets: Gajowniczek |
A mentally-deranged knifeman, who threatened Downing Street Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell, told police: “I want to kill an MP,” when removed from the politician’s constituency surgery before the last election.
Pole Andrzej Gajowniczek, 25, was obsessed with issues of government corruption in his homeland and attended the 45 year-old former Croydon Central MP’s office last year.
Nobody knew he had a black-handled kitchen knife in his rucksack at the time and Gajowniczek even re-entered the UK after escaping a psychiatric hospital and was arrested trying to enter the Houses of Parliament.
Yesterday he received 18 months imprisonment, suspended for 2 years and was also made subject to a two-year exclusion order, banning him from the country.
As a consequence Barwell had new locks fitted at his home, plus a panic alarm, CCTV, changed his routine a began taking a ministerial car rather than walking.
During a rant at Barwell’s Wickham Road, Shirley office Gajowniczek told the MP: “I could attack you, I could kill you,” and: “Your wife is being f***** by those Jamaican n******.”
This was a reference to his language therapist wife Karen McKenzie, the mother of the couple’s three sons.
Gajowniczek pleaded guilty to the racially aggravated harassment of Barwell at the office and possessing a bladed article at Croydon Police Station on June 3, last year.
Barwell lost his seat in June’s General Election, but was quickly appointed to the senior Number 10 role by PM Theresa May within days.
"Kill" Threat: Barwell |
Prosecutor Mr. Graeme Molloy told the court Barwell had an “open door” surgery policy and an appointment with Gajowniczek, who was asked to leave after ranting about corruption and pay-offs.
The MP asked two female staff members to call the police when Gajowniczek refused to leave. “He was pacing up and down making wild allegations, asking Mr. Barwell if he’d been paid.”
Officers removed Gajowniczek, who told them: “I want to kill an MP. Yes, I will come back and kill that MP.”
Police failed to find the blade and the still-packaged knife was only discovered in his rucksack during a more thorough search at the station.
He was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and returned to Poland for treatment, but after escaping flew into Luton Airport on March 27, this year.
“Later that day he tried to gain entry to the Houses of Parliament and was stopped,” said Mr. Molloy.
Recorder David Brock announced: “Public figures like MP’s must be protected, but to simply lock this defendant up doesn’t achieve that.
“The best thing is for him to leave the UK as soon as possible.”
He told Gajowniczek: “MP’s going about their public duties should be protected from the likes of you.
“Those who work in public office must be safe to go about their duties and meet members of the public one-on-one without fear of being abused and threatened with attack in this way.
“This is on the strict understanding that you leave the country and don’t return in the forceable future. If that’s not the case I’ll have you back here to consider sentencing you in another way.
“I’m firmly of the view you should be deported as soon as reasonably practicable, but that’s out of my control.”