GO AD-FREE. Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
GO AD-FREE. Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
A knife-wielding burglar who was Tasered while he attempted to chase a woman inside her own home has been jailed for eight and a half years.
Jacek Gralak, of Kent Road, Gravesend, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated burglary, actual bodily harm and possessing a bladed article.
The moment police Tasered Gralak was caught on camera
The 25-year-old’s offending was brought to an abrupt stop by quick-thinking officers, who were responding to reports of an armed man threatening people inside two homes and the street outside.
The first burglary offence happened shortly after 7.45pm on Christmas Eve 2020.
A man living in Wrotham Road, Gravesend, went into his front garden to place some rubbish in his skip but when he re-entered his living room, he found Gralak.
Following a brief verbal exchange, Gralak pushed him onto the sofa before lunging at him several times with a knife.
None of the lunges made contact with the victim and the offender then fled the scene on foot.
As Gralak walked towards the junction with Essex Road, he then became involved in a second altercation with a different man.
He pulled a knife on the victim and kicked him to the floor, before running away when other members of the public intervened.
The offender then forced his way into a nearby property.
Once inside the Essex Road address he punched and kicked a man and threatened him with a knife. The man was able to retreat into a conservatory for safety.
Officers arrived at the scene while the offence was in progress and ran into the address after hearing cries of distress.
After entering through the front door, they found a woman running from the kitchen after initially attempting to hold the door shut to keep Gralak at bay on the other side.
The patrols were able to get themselves between the woman and Gralak before using a a Taser to bring him under control.
He was taken a local hospital for a precautionary check following his arrest and has since been remanded in custody.
While at the hospital, he attempted to urinate against a wall but was stopped from doing so by a police constable, who Gralak elbowed in defiance.
He admitted assaulting the emergency services worker, in addition to the other counts.
On Friday he was jailed for eight and a half years at the Nightingale Court, based at the Mercure Maidstone Great Danes Hotel in Maidstone.
Detective Constable Helen Cole said: "Gralak inflicted a huge amount of terror upon victims he indiscriminately targeted.
"His offending was excessively violent, completely senseless and has understandably had a profound impact on the people he threatened and assaulted.
"He has shown himself to be a highly dangerous man who has absolutely zero regard for anyone else.
"The officers who were first on scene took quick and decisive action to bring Gralak under control and stop him causing further harm.
"I am pleased that a strong custodial sentence has now been imposed, and I hope this outcome provides the victims with a degree of closure."
To get the latest updates in ongoing cases, police appeals and criminals put behind bars, click here
For information on how we can report on court proceedings, click here
