Man who raped and abused girl then fled to Sicily jailed

Tomasz Kowalkowski was traced due to his repeated use of a bank machine in the town where he was hiding

A man who raped and sexually abused a girl but then fled to the Mediterranean after his arrest has been jailed.

Tomasz Kowalkowski, 47, carried out the attacks at different times between 2016 and 2019 in Nottinghamshire.

Following his arrest in July 2019 he left the country but was eventually tracked down to Sicily where he was arrested by Italian police.

Kowalkowski, of no fixed address, was jailed for 18 years when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday.

Sick relative claim

Police said after Kowalkowski failed to appear at his initial court hearing in November 2020, a warrant was issued for his arrest and intelligence specialists at Nottinghamshire Police began a search.

After reviewing flight records it was established he had left the UK on a flight to Palermo, Sicily, the previous month.

Kowalkowski was eventually tracked to a town in the south of the island where he regularly used the same bank machine, at which he was arrested in September 2021.

During a seven-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court in March, Kowalkowski claimed his victim was making up the allegations and insisted he had flown to Sicily to care for a sick relative.

He was found guilty of one count of raping a girl aged under 13, three counts of sexual assault by touching, three counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 and one count of causing/inciting a girl aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity.

He was also made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders register for life.

Det Con Hayley Denoon said: "Kowalkowksi repeatedly preyed on a very young and vulnerable girl.

"I hope it brings her some comfort that he has now been locked up for a significant time."