Violent thug who physically and sexually assaulted woman jailed

A man who sexually and physically assaulted a woman in East Lancashire has been jailed.

Saul Rajski was jailed for seven years and two months for his abhorrent behaviour.

In a victim impact statement, the woman wrote: “This statement has not been an easy thing for me to provide as it involves a time in my life that I would rather not think about or even remember. Thinking about Saul, our relationship and the abuse that he subjected me to is extremely difficult for me and something that I wasn’t sure I would be able to do.

“If I think carefully about it, our relationship was only actually good for about the first three weeks and then it went downhill and Saul’s behaviour gradually escalated. I dismissed it at first and I was made to feel as if I was a bad person. I have lost count of the sleepless nights I have had since Saul was arrested and remanded to prison. I have been overwhelmed by all sorts of feelings – sadness, fear, disbelief, shame, guilt, the list goes on. I have had no choice but to seek help from my doctor in relation to this.”

She continued: “The abuse that Saul subjected me to has had really negative affects on all other relationships in my life. I have been argumentative with friends and family and have pushed them away at times when really everyone has just wanted to help me. I have not had the tolerance for it, and I have just felt incredibly emotional and frustrated. I still struggle with flashbacks to this day. I dream about what has happened and I wake up feeling down and full of fear. This happens on most nights and I long for the day when I hope that it will stop.”

To summarise this case, the victim was sat watching Formula One with Rajski in their bedroom on 24^th November 2024 and she said something about who she thought was going to win. He told her shut up and then punched her to the head, causing bruising and swelling. She tried to contact the police but Rajski grabbed the phone off her. The police tried to call her back, but Rajski told her not to answer and then got into her car with a bottle of alcohol. Rajski was arrested by officers.

Three days later our officers were called to The Travel Lodge in Darwen at 2.50am to reports a man was being verbally aggressive towards a woman and she had bruises on her face.

Officers attended and arrested Rajski. It transpired that Rajski had assaulted the victim the previous evening because she had spoken whilst he was watching a TV programme.

The victim also stated that Rajski would sexually assault her, leaving her bruised.

Rajski, 49, of Chequers, Clayton-le-Moors, pleaded guilty to sexual assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and battery. Appearing in the dock at Preston Crown Court, Rajski was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and made subject of an indefinite restraining order.

DC Claire Scott, from the East Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Investigation Team, said: “Rajski’s behaviour was completely unacceptable, demeaning and has had a long-lasting impact on her. It is not something that will be tolerated by Lancashire Police or society as a whole.

“I hope she can now begin to move on with her life, knowing that Rajski has been held accountable for what he has done.

“If anyone finds themselves in a similar situation I would urge them to contact the police, knowing we will listen to you and we will do everything in our power to put the abuser before the courts.”

If you or somebody you know has been the victim of a crime, report it online via https://doitonline.lancashire.police.uk or call 101. In an emergency or if a crime is in progress always call 999.