A SERIAL mugger who had fled jail before he violently robbed a Harrow pensioner has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
Jobless heroin addict Saturnin Barwinski, 25, was jailed in Open Ford Prison in April 2006 for 20 robberies on lone women – some of which were violent.
He had been wanted by police for his recall to prison after he absconded in January 2011 before completing his sentence, meaning he was able to roam the streets to carry out the brutal attack on 73-year-old Joanna Weaver, in Harlington Close, South Harrow, on December 20 last year.
He pushed her over from behind and she fell and struck her forehead on the pavement, smashing her spectacles, which caused shards of glass from the broken lens to severe an artery at the top of her nose.
She was taken to Northwick Park Hospital where it was confirmed she had fractured the bridge of her nose, and had suffered nerve damage to her eye socket as well as two black eyes. The 72-year-old needed 40 stitches to a facial cut and has a permanent scar.
Barwinski also attacked a 25-year-old woman at 6.40pm on the same day as she walked home from Acton Central Station. She fell over as she struggled to hang onto her bag but he wrestled it free before climbing into a car and fleeing.
Barwinski was arrested by officers from Notting Hill following a further attack days later on a woman in her 50s.
The victim in that case activated the GPS signal on her iPhone which was in her handbag at the time of the robbery and police managed to trace him.
At the time of his arrest, Barwinski was driving a car with the same partial registration number that Mrs Weaver had identified following her attack.
He admitted the two robberies outside of the borough but denied attacking Mrs Weaver.
He was later convicted following a trial.
He had also previously admitted two charges of handling stolen goods, one of possession of a bladed article and one of escape from lawful custody.
At his sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, October 19, Barwinski was given an indeterminate sentence to serve at least seven years.
Mrs Weaver said: “I’m very pleased that justice has been done and that he won’t have the chance to do this to any other person. This could have easily have been a fatal attack. I wish to thank the Metropolitan Police and in particular the investigating officer, who have been fantastic throughout.”
The Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for the prison service, refused to comment on the details of how Barwinski escaped from custody because it does not comment on individual cases.
