Man jailed after seriously assaulting a friend he had been staying with in Crewe

A 40-year-old man who viciously assaulted a friend he had been staying with in Crewe and left him with a series of serious facial injuries has been jailed for eight years.

Sylvester Aksamit, of no fixed address, had been living with the victim in the Mount Pleasant area of the town for months.

At around 4.30pm on Tuesday 23 July Aksamit walked up to the 51-year-old victim inside the address and started punching him in the head.

He proceeded to punch and kick the victim multiple times in the face before putting something around his neck and trying to choke him.

The victim used his hands to protect his neck and Aksamit then dragged him outside the property and began repeatedly punching him in the face in front of witnesses.

A neighbour intervened, dragging Aksamit away from the victim until police and paramedics arrived.

The victim was taken to hospital in an ambulance.

He has since been discharged having receiving treatment for the serious facial injuries he sustained as a result of the unprovoked assault.

After being arrested at the scene, Aksamit claimed in custody that he believed the victim had been taking money from him and that he had dragged him outside the property with the intention of taking him to the police station.

No evidence of this was found and Aksamit pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

He also admitted a charge of possessing a bladed article in a public place in relation to an incident on Friday 3 May.

Aksamit was carrying a knife in the Asda supermarket in Crewe before officers seized the weapon after stopping and searching him.

A warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to turn up in court in answer to the weapon charge.

He was subsequently charged with failing to appear at court and was sentenced for all three offences at Chester Crown Court on Monday 20 January.

Following sentencing, Detective Constable Victoria Greenhoff, of Crewe Local Policing Unit, said: “Sylvester Aksamit launched a vicious, unprovoked assault on a friend who had been letting him stay at his address.

“The victim was left with a number of serious facial injuries and the consequences of the assault could have been even worse had it not been for the intervention of one of his neighbour.

“The substantial prison sentence Aksamit has received reflects the severity of his offences.

“The victim is understandably still suffering from physical and physiological effects of the attack.

“I hope the fact that Aksamit has now been brought to justice gives the victim some closure and enables him to begin to move forward with his life.”

On top of his custodial sentence, Aksamit was ordered to pay a £181 victim surcharge.