A DRUNKEN man who had broken into an assisted care flat to go to sleep fled with the occupier’s wallet and medication when he was disturbed.
But unfortunately for intruder Boguslaw Gronski, he left behind his own wallet which contained his Polish identity card, Warwick Crown Court has heard.
Gronski, 33, of Oliver Street, Rugby, was jailed for ten months and ordered to pay a £900 criminal courts charge after pleading guilty to the burglary.
Prosecutor Graeme Simpson said that in August a man who lives in an assisted care flat in Farmers Court, Charolais Close, Rugby, was woken by a noise at 3.30 in the morning.
When he went to investigate he saw Gronski and challenged him, but Gronski got away by climbing out of a window, having taken the occupier’s wallet, phone and medication which included morphine in both liquid and tablet form.
But in his haste to get away, he had left behind a bag in which he had his own wallet containing items including his Polish identity card.
The police were called, and officers arrested him after finding him in a drunken sleep nearby – and he claimed he was so drunk he thought he had been in his own home.
The court heard Gronski had entered his plea on the basis that he had been drinking at someone’s flat and had left to get a taxi.
Having been unable to do so, he claimed that he went back inside and went into what he believed was the same flat, covered himself with some coats and went to sleep.
He accepted he had picked up some items while he was there, and left when he was woken.
But Judge Andrew Lockhart QC rejected that and said he would sentence Gronski on the basis that he had entered knowing he was a trespasser.
Mr Simpson added that Gronski had previous convictions for offences including theft and being drunk and disorderly, and in November last year had been jailed for four weeks for burgling a narrow boat.
“There are then offences almost week by week until he committed this offence in August, a month to the day after he had been given a community order for two offences of shoplifting.”
Ben Gow, defending, said: “It’s obvious from his record and from the offence itself that it stems from drink.”
He explained that Gronski was a trained electrician with a good work record until he and his wife separated and she went back to Poland with their child, after which he started drinking.
“His shoplifting was not stealing items to sell, but almost exclusively alcohol,” observed Mr Gow, who added that Gromski was now determined to get himself back on track.
Jailing Gromski, Judge Lockhart told him: “You have a number of previous matters recorded against you, all of which have occurred in the recent past.
“Peppered across 2014 and 2015 are constant convictions for stealing, and in July you received a community order.
“It was within 28 days of that that you committed this offence.
“I have read your basis of plea. It is plain you were very drunk that night. You were drinking at someone’s house and went to get a taxi, and then decided to go into someone’s flat to go to sleep.
“But it’s clear you knew you had no right to be there. This was an offence at night when an occupant disturbed you, and you were in drink.”
