A labourer has been sentenced to 17 months in prison for causing approximately £14,000 in damage to his boss's Grade II-listed home and car in Margate, Kent. The destruction occurred in May after the worker, identified as 27-year-old Lukasz Dabrowski, became angered by deductions from his wages intended to cover rent for accommodation at the property.
Dabrowski had been assisting his employer, Abrar Mohammed, with renovations and was permitted to stay at the house. However, he was reportedly upset when Mr. Mohammed withheld money from his pay for rent, particularly as the accommodation lacked essential utilities such as heating and hot water.
On May 1, police were called to the residence following reports of windows being broken and items being thrown from the house. Dabrowski was found on scaffolding outside and required negotiation to be brought down. He was subsequently arrested and released on bail.
Despite the initial police involvement, Dabrowski returned to the property on May 4. CCTV footage captured him using a claw hammer to smash the front bay window of the house. He then took a traffic cone inside the property and threw it through a window before proceeding to smash all the windows of Mr. Mohammed's silver Hyundai i800 van.
In addition to the criminal damage charges, Dabrowski pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and one count of assaulting a police constable after spitting at an officer following his second arrest. He received a two-year restraining order prohibiting any contact with Mr. Mohammed.
Mr. Mohammed stated in a victim impact statement that he felt "extremely worried" about potential personal harm from Dabrowski. He also noted that his working relationship with the employee was "ruined." Mr. Mohammed suggested that a change in Dabrowski's behavior might be linked to substance misuse, expressing hope that he would receive necessary help.
Dabrowski's lawyer indicated that he wished to be deported to Poland for a fresh start, citing a period of law-abiding life in Britain prior to becoming involved in substance misuse. The sentencing judge acknowledged that Dabrowski had "lost the plot" due to a sense of grievance over feeling exploited by his employer regarding the housing and wage deductions.