MAN JAILED FOR RAPING A WOMAN AT KNIFEPOINT IN A SHOP IN HEMEL HEMPSTEAD
A man has been sentenced to prison after raping a woman at knifepoint inside a shop in Hemel Hempstead.Piotr Metrycki, aged 32 and without a fixed address, pleaded guilty to raping the 21-year-old woman in a store located on Marlowes, in the heart of Hemel Hempstead.
The victim, who was working at the time, was threatened with a knife in the staff area and was punched in the face during the assault.
She managed to inform a customer and a colleague about what had happened, which led to police apprehending Metrycki less than a mile from the scene of the attack.
At the sentencing hearing on April 30 at St Albans Crown Court, Judge Andrew Bright commended the victim for her courage in confronting her attacker in court and described the incident as extremely traumatic and horrifying.
Detective Constable David Herring from the Hertfordshire Constabulary Sexual Offences Investigation Team stated: “I commend the victim’s incredible bravery, not only in reporting the attack to us so quickly, but throughout the entire case.
It is thanks to her courage that Metrycki will now serve time in prison.” He added, “He subjected the victim to a horrific assault, and I hope that this substantial sentence will aid her in her recovery from this very traumatic experience.” Metrycki received a nine-year prison sentence, with an additional four years on license following his release.
