Man jailed for Gosport explosive device ‘denotation’
HAMPSHIRE CONSTABULARY have announced that a fifty-four year old has been offically sentenced to a total of four years imprisionment after a dangerous incident in Gosport last year; which saw a detonation of a ‘low explosive device’ as police attended an address in Alver Valley and forced a mass evacuation of local residents for public safety reasons.
Officers were attending the address in Carr Court (Davenport Court) shortly before 10am on August 28 last year, where they were intending to arrest Damian Mazurkiewicz for an “unrelated matter”. However when they gained entry into this address they located Mazurkiewicz holding an “imitation firearm” and they began challenging him safely in the property.
Mazurkiewicz then proceeded to press a trigger switch within his hand, which resulted in a burst of “black smoke” being released from a black box attached to the body. He was tasered by police in attendance and removed from the address alongside the low explosive device which was secured by the Royal Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team (EOD).
Local residents were all evacuated from the building and its surrounding roads before this scene was made safe; whilst Mazurkiewicz was questioned and charged with two offences. These charges were doing an act with intent to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or damage property and use of the imitation firearm to resist arrest from police officers.
Mazurkiewicz pleaded guilty at the trial in February and appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court last Wednesday (May 8), where he was sentenced for the two above offences alongside the additional 2 counts for breaching a restraining order. He was jailed for a total of four years and three months for all crimes with an added extended license period of 3 years.
Inspector Warne said that the incident had “a significant impact” within the local community and that he was impressed with the “friendly” spirit of residents despite the Bank Holiday disruption. He further praised those officers first on scene who have since been nominated for a Police Federation Bravery award and will soon visit Downing Street this summer.
Readers can read the full comments on this case by clicking via this online link, whilst they are encouraged to continue reporting any crimes to the police using a range of methods. They can submit all details using the online reporting tools that are available on the Hampshire Police website, with official support and further guidance available on the link here.
Alternatively, readers can contact the “independent charity” Crimestoppers 100% anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 for absolutely free; or via their anonymous online forms which can be found through their website: https://orlo.uk/250kR
PICTURED BY ALAMY (MWJJX8): Stock imagery of local police officers from Hampshire Constabulary at public event.
