A young woman suffered “bloody and gruesome” injuries when her drug-crazed boyfriend hurled a heavy glass bong at her, a court heard.
Paris Willows was struck just above her right elbow and the bong shattered into pieces causing a cut to her elbow and right knee. A judge described the photographs of her injuries as “bloody and gruesome.”
Kamil Ustupski aged 19, of Winmarleigh Street, Warrington, had pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and was sentenced to 14 months detention.
Derek Jones, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Ustupski and the 20-year-old victim had been in an on-off relationship since October 2021 and they both took drugs.
On November 4 she went to a friend’s house in Bewsey and Ustupski followed her and while there he became concerned about someone taking his tablets.
His behaviour became erratic and he pushed Paris to the chest and asked for weed. “She described him as raging and out of control. He said he needed his tablets and went to the purse of another woman.
“Paris told him not to take the purse to protect her friend, who she described as vulnerable. The defendant stood up from the couch and grabbed a large heavy glass container described as a bong and raised it above his head. He held it there for a minute and his facial expression was one of anger,” said Mr Jones.
“He threw the bong directly at her head from two or three metres away, described as thrown with force. She was able to put her hands in front of her face and it hit her just above her right elbow and shattered into pieces causing a cut to her right elbow and injuries to her hand and forearm.
“She had blood all over her arms and legs. She was treated at a walk-in centre with steri strips.”
The court heard that when police arrived at the house everyone seemed to be under the influence of drugs. The couple were both there and when asked what had happened Ustupski said ‘she fell over, that’s right isn’t it?’
Paris confirmed that was right but when taken aside she told how he had thrown the bong at her, said Mr Jones.
Ustupski was arrested and when interviewed he denied throwing the item.
The defendant has eight previous convictions for 12 offences including violence and drugs and he admitted that the latest offence put him in breach of a conditional discharge imposed for threatening behaviour in August last year.
Carmel Wilde, defending, said, “He is sorry and regrets what he has done. He accepts responsibility for his actions though he was so intoxicated he can’t remember what happened.”
He has been in custody since November 21 after breaching his bail and it has been his first taste of custody. He has a thinking skills deficit and needs anger management help, she said.
He lost his father when he was young and his mother has been trying to help him by moving away from gang culture but he was affected by the upheavals.
Judge David Swinnerton said he had no doubt drugs were the root cause of his offending. He said the defendant’s mum had tried to help but Ustupski was “magnetically attracted to these bad things.”
He told Ustupski, who appeared via video link, “You need to do some serious thinking now you are an adult about how you want the rest of your life to go. If you want the rest to be spent in prison or squalor keeps on taking drugs.
“If on the other hand, you want a semblance of a life you need to sort it out.”
Judge Swinnerton imposed a ten-year restraining order.
The court heard 20-year-old Willows, of Poplars Avenue, Orford, is currently serving seven months detention for assault and drugs offences.
