Drunken thug plundered wife's Wakefield shop profits before putting gun to her head

Luckily, the imitation pistol was not loaded when Kamil Glowacki lifted it to the woman’s head after he downed a litre of vodka. Leeds Crown Court heard that Glowacki had become abusive, would steal personal items, took cash from her business and left her £17,000 in debt, all to feed his alcohol and drug habit. 

Police swooped to arrest him when he met the woman in public to persuade her to drop the charges, fearing he would flee to his native Poland.

Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed said the couple had been in a relationship for six years which “became marred” by Glowacki’s drinking, often reaching the point that he was unable to stand up. His wife opened a clothes shop in Wakefield city centre that was doing well, but 31-year-old Glowacki would “drink the profits”, Mr Ahmed said, consuming a litre of spirits daily. 

Compounding his wife’s misery, he would also send messages to her customers on Facebook criticising and humiliating her. When she found herself £17,000 in debt, she had to hide her takings and confiscate his card. He then started selling her children’s laptops, a wedding ring and even his car to keep him in booze and drugs. 

On November 16 last year she gave him an ultimatum to quit or move out, and he agreed to abstain. But the next day she came home to Jubilee Street in Hall Green, Wakefield, to find him drunk and asleep, with her two children aged nine and 14 in the house. 

He then woke up and began shouting at the children for being noisy. He then turned his attention to his wife, pushing her into the wardrobe. He told one of the children to “f*** off” when they entered the room.

When the woman began walking down the stairs, he grabbed her and turned her head, putting the air postil to her and said: “You are doing to die f****** miserably,” before pulling the trigger. He then left the house, taking the family dog with him. The police were contacted shortly afterwards. 

The next day Glowacki rang and she agreed to meet, where he tried to convince her not to pursue legal action before the police apprehended him. Having been arrested, he was interviewed and accepted responsibility, but said he could not remember the incident. 

Glowacki, now of no fixed address, admitted a charge of possessing an imitation firearm with an intention to cause fear of violence, and assault by beating. He had no previous convictions at the time of the incident, but was jailed for four weeks in December last year for being in charge of a vehicle while over the alcohol limit. He was more than three times over the legal limit.

Mitigating, Jess Butterell said: “He has been honest about the fact that this is something he did, albeit, he can’t remember it. He is disappointed in his actions and hates the fact he can’t remember them. It’s clearly linked to his substance and alcohol misuse.” She said he had air guns which he collected as a hobby. 

Judge Robin Mairs jailed him for three years and gave him a 10-year restraining order to keep him away from the victim.