Psychopathic rapist sentenced to at least 10 years in Scottish prison

Lindsay McIntosh [The Times Online]

A violent offender who subjected a 24-year-old beautician to an eight-hour rape ordeal in a squalid drinking den was jailed for life yesterday. Michal Marchlewski, described in a report as a psychopath, will have to serve at least 10 years.

Marchlewski, 21, a Polish citizen, had admitted charges including rape, assault, danger to life and robbery. He and his cousin raped the woman eight times after dragging her into a filthy shelter strewn with pornography in Dalry, Edinburgh. His cousin Tomasz Kryczyk, 26, hanged himself in his cell days before he was due in court.

Their victim, who has since moved back to Australia, was attacked in the face with pepper spray as she walked home from work through a pedestrian underpass in daylight. Marchlewski grabbed her from behind and dragged her down an embankment through undergrowth to the makeshift shelter.

She told police she did not think she would survive. At one stage, she managed to get a step out of the shelter before being dragged back. Eventually the two cousins packed some of her belongings into a suitcase and said she could leave.

Sentence had been deferred to the hearing at Edinburgh High Court yesterday, for Dr Stephen Evans, an expert on risk assessment, to complete a report on the rapist. Dr Evans said Marchlewski had continued the assault despite the woman’s pleas and protests, and had subsequently shown no concern or remorse. He would be capable of sadistically motivated violence in the future and showed a “psychopathic personality disorder”.

The father of the victim was in court as lawyers discussed Dr Evans’s report. He heard of Marchlewski’s violent background which included abusing his sister and terrorising members of the capital’s Polish community. The rapist had shown “visible enjoyment” while slaughtering a pig during a previous job. The court heard that Marchlewski had followed his father to Scotland early in 2007 but had not held down a job. He has previous convictions in Poland.

Judge Lord Bracadale said if he was freed, Home Office officials should consider deporting him to Poland.
He imposed a life-long restiction order on the rapist. Tony Graham, for the defence, insisted that Marchlewski was sorry. “He has destroyed somebody’s life. His actions that day cannot be forgiven, cannot be forgotten and will have a lasting impact,” he said.

After the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector John McKenzie, of Lothian and Borders Police, said the victim was to be commended for her bravery in coming forward to police.