Trial of man, 19, from Slough accused of attempted murder and rape begins

The trial of a 19-year-old man from Slough charged with attempted murder, rape and GBH with intent began at Reading Crown Court today.

The jury was told by Michael Roques, prosecuting, that Damian Kazimerczak, of Salt Hill Way, attacked a woman as she walked past the Absolutely Ten Pin entrance in Salt Hill Park in the early hours of Monday, December 28 last year.

Mr Roques told the court the victim said Kazimerczak asked her for a lighter and, as she passed him one, he pushed her to the ground. The jury heard Kazimerczak shouted a Polish sexual expletive and said ‘money’ to her before sitting on her chest and trying to strangle her.

The woman also claims Kazimerczak put his hands in her mouth and tried to pull her teeth out.

The court heard after passing out, the victim woke up hours later, naked from the waist down. Her attacker had disappeared.

She flagged down an emergency gas engineer’s van at about 3.45am and police and an ambulance were called. The victim was taken to Wexham Park Hospital.

The prosecution alleges evidence from the scene and on the woman’s clothes suggests she was raped, although she has no recollection of this.

The jury heard she scratched her attacker’s face in self defence but Kaziemrczak told friends scratches on his face resulted from a group of people attacking him.

The court was told Kazimerczak denies attacking the woman and claims evidence of his DNA was at the scene and under the woman’s fingernails because she was a sex worker and was attempting to find a spot in the park to have consensual, paid-for sex.

The trial continues.