A Kendal man who armed himself with a baseball bat and held it near a badly injured man in the town has been given a suspended jail term.
Pawel Trepkowski, now 39, found himself in court for the first time after an incident outside his Stricklandgate home in the early hours of October 30 2022.
Carlisle Crown Court heard Trepkowski had left his property to take rubbish to an outside bin. At the same time, a man was lying injured nearby with a badly broken leg after being attacked by an unidentified assailant.
Trepkowski returned to his home and then emerged with a baseball bat.
Prosecutor Tim Evans told the court how Trepkowski was seen patrolling areas outside his property while holding the bat, which he tapped against his leg and arm as he came close to the severely injured man and his girlfriend. Both were extremely upset and fearful as the incident unfolded.
Trepkowski admitted possessing an offensive weapon in public.
Anthony Horsfall, mitigating, said it was the defendant’s case that he had been assaulted beforehand. “It was heat of the moment. He certainly regrets his actions,” said Mr Horsfall.
Passing sentence, Recorder Julian Shaw imposed an eight-month jail term, suspended for 18 months. Trepkowski must complete 120 hours’ unpaid work.
Recorder Shaw told the defendant: “This is a law-abiding country and the courts do not look favourably on those who seek to take it upon themselves to patrol the streets armed with weapons.
“If you were in any doubt whatsoever as to the view the courts take about such conduct, you must have been completely blind to what has been happening up and down the length and breadth of country in the last few months where people have been sent to prison for such disorder.”
