Perth Prison officer scarred for life after hot soup assault by inmate
A Perth Prison guard was left scarred for life after being scalded with hot soup by a violent inmate, a court has heard.
The officer's agonizing burns across his neck and chest are still visible following the unprovoked attack at the city jail in October 2022.
Perth Sheriff Court heard his condition is aggravated when he goes into the sunshine.
His attacker, serial offender Rafal Walczykowski, admitted assaulting the officer to his severe injury and permanent impairment.
The 32-year-old was further convicted by a jury of a separate attack on a fellow prisoner, which left him with a 'life-altering' eye injury.
Polish national Walczykowski was jailed for more than three years and faces being kicked out of the country.
Sheriff William Wood told the inmate he hopes he will be deported 'swiftly' after finishing his jail term.
Fiscal depute Emma Farmer said: 'At the time, Mr Walczykowski was a serving prisoner in HMP Perth.
'At 11am, the victim was working within the prison, supervising lunches.
'The accused attended to collect his lunch.'
The guard was behind a table, dishing up servings as Walczykowski and other inmates lined up.
The accused was joking with another prisoner, before he picked up his bowl of soup and launched it at the prison officer, said Ms Farmer.
'The victim then restrained Mr Walczykowski on the floor, prior to other staff attending to assist.
'He then realised he had been scalded and immediately went off to take a cold shower to ease the burns.'
The fiscal depute said: 'Nurses initially treated the victim's blisters with dressings, along with codeine for pain relief.
'He was taken to Perth Royal Infirmary, where he was found to have suffered a 2% partial thickness burn to his neck and upper chest.'
The court heard some patches of burns appeared to go deeper into his skin.
His wounds were cleaned by nursing staff and dressed.
'He had to re-attend due to the dressing slipping and a suspected infection that required antibiotics,' said Ms Farmer.
The guard had to attend several appointments at a scar management clinic.
'The burns have left certain areas of his skin to be patchy,' the fiscal depute.
'He advices it causes him difficulty if he is in sunlight.'
Details of the assault emerged after Walczykowski was convicted of an attack on a prisoner at the jail in March 2022.
Jurors heard how he repeatedly punched inmate Stewart McWilliams on the head, leaving him severely injured and permanently impaired.
Walczykowski denied the assault on the prisoner but did not put up much fight during his trial, refusing to cross-examine his victim and not giving closing submissions.
The jury took just over an hour to unanimously find him guilty.
Asked if he wanted to say anything about the attacks, Walczykowski told Sheriff William Wood: 'No, I just wish to be sentenced.'
The sheriff told him: 'These were both, in their own ways, very cowardly attacks on people who had done nothing to harm you.
'Mr McWilliams told us that he had been involved in a car accident shortly before ending up in prison, with a cut hand and a broken collar bone.
'You have offered no explanation for assaulting him in the way that you did but you clearly caused him life-altering injuries in respect of his eye.'
The sheriff added: 'The prison officer you assaulted was simply doing his job.
'You, seemingly in a fit of pique, threw your soup over him.
'Prison officers should not face that sort of assault when they are doing their job.'
He said: 'Only a significant custodial sentence is appropriate.'
Walczykowski was jailed for 40 months, consecutive to his current jail term.
The sheriff added: 'It is to be hoped that when you are eventually released from prison you will be deported as swiftly as possible.'
Walczykowski asked: 'Is that 40 months, or only 20?'
He was told that was a matter for prison management.
Walczykowski was previously jailed for a total of 52 months, after back-to-back trials at Forfar Sheriff Court.
The court heard how he attacked police and a nurse and hit his own father across the face with a tyre iron in Dundee.
Sheriff Kirsta Johnstone recommended Walczykowski should be deported after serving his sentence.
He told her: 'If you want to deport me and you've got reason for that, you can do that.'
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