Chelmsford: Man convicted of sexual assault

A man has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman in Chelmsford earlier this year. 

Mateusz Nowaczyk, 21 of The Vineyards, Great Baddow appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, 30 August where he pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault by penetration. 

An investigation by Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate was launched on Saturday, 9 March following reports of a woman being sexually assaulted on Parkway in the early hours of the morning. 

Officers were called to the car park of B&M store on Parkway in Chelmsford around 2am following reports of a woman being threatened and sexually assaulted. The victim was grabbed from behind and told not to scream before being pushed to the ground and sexually assaulted. The suspect then ran away and the victim called the police. The victim could only say that the suspect was wearing a hooded jacket, spoke with an Essex accent and was wearing gloves. 

Whilst on the phone to the police, the victim was approached by Nowaczyk who asked whether she was okay and offered to help the victim. When officers arrived, Nowaczyk claimed that he had seen the suspect leaving the scene and that he had heard the victim screaming for help. He then approached the victim, tried to help her and also called the police. 

An investigation was launched and the victim was supported by officers and our partner agencies throughout. 

Nowaczyk was initially treated as a significant witness, however following fast-paced enquiries by detectives in our Serious Crime Directorate, he was nominated as a suspect and arrested in the afternoon of Saturday, 9 March. 

These enquiries included the review of CCTV which showed Nowaczyk in the area at the time. 

Significantly, analysis on his phone showed that prior to the sexual assault, Nowaczyk had carried out searches regarding sexual assault. He had also viewed webpages from various police force sites about sexual assault and accessed the National Sexual Violence Resource Centre webpage. 

Further enquiries revealed that Nowaczyk had lied about seeing anyone leaving the scene. 

Mateusz Nowaczyk was charged with sexual assault by penetration and perverting the course of justice. 

He appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, 30 August where he pleaded guilty to sexual assault by penetration. The charge of perverting the course of justice was ordered to lay on file by the judge. 

He will appear at the same court on Friday, 4 October to be sentenced. 

Detective Chief Inspector Antony Alcock said “From the moment this was reported to us, our officers responded quickly to safeguard the victim and provide her with support whilst gathering the evidence. The investigation unravelled Nowaczyk’s deceit in a short space of time when he was promptly arrested and has been in custody since. 

“Nowaczyk’s behaviour was predatory and there is no doubt that he is a danger. He returned to the scene and attempted to be perceived as a good Samaritan, which is incredibly disturbing. 

“Incidents such as these are incredibly rare but that does not change the impact that Nowaczyk’s actions have had on this victim. I would like to thank the victim for her bravery throughout this investigation and I hope this conviction aids her continuing recovery. 

“Essex Police’s response and thorough investigation in this case highlights how the women of Essex can rely on us to take reports seriously, care for victims and work hard to prosecute offenders.”

Essex Police’s work to tackle violence and sexual offending against women and girls remains one of our highest priorities and last year, our officers solved 14.3% more sexual offences committed against women and girls. 

We will carry on working with our communities and partner organisations to take action against those who commit these crimes. We will also work hard to encourage people to ask for help and provide support to those who need it.

We will focus on areas where we're told women and girls feel more vulnerable, as well as information gathered through the Common Place survey.  

The Common Place survey can be accessed here: Have Your Say Today - - Commonplace