A sex offender convicted in Perth’s Polish twin city has been found guilty of having an illicit passport in his Tayside flat.
Kamil Nowak stood trial accused of failing to comply with notification requirements imposed after he was convicted of a sex offence at Bydgoszcz District Court.
Nowak told Perth Sheriff Court he was afraid to go to the police station and declare his new travel document but could not elaborate further.
Nowak was found guilty of failing to timeously declare the passport.
Relocated to sister city
Perth and Bydgoszcz in northern Poland have been twinned for 26 years.
Since his conviction in the Polish city, Nowak has moved to Maidstone in Kent, then to Blairgowrie and then to Perth, where he still lives.
A detective constable from Perth police station’s sex offender policing unit told the trial he attended at Nowak’s former home in Blairgowrie in 2021 to provide a reminder leaflet about the 41-year-old’s registration requirements.
However, Nowak refused to sign an accompanying execution of service form.
A year later, police checked on him in his new flat in St Catherine’s Square, Perth.
The trial heard police knew Nowak had a passport which had expired but further discussions revealed he had gained a replacement, with an issue date of September 28 2022.
Due to being on the sex offenders register, Nowak must declare to police changes in his life, such as getting a new passport, within three days.
Details of his Polish conviction were not provided in open court.
Scared of station
Nowak, who was helped by an interpreter but had no lawyer for the trial, gave evidence himself but changed his story throughout.
Initially he told the court: “I was waiting for the police officer to come to visit and to take the details.”
He then added: “I’m afraid to enter the police station.”
Fiscal depute Duncan McKenzie told the court Nowak produced no reasonable excuse, and in fact “barely even an excuse”.
In his closing submission, Nowak chose to attack the police, stating: “They try to ruin my life and my work.”
No reasonable excuse
Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC convicted Nowak of failing to notify police of a new passport between September 2022 and June 2023.
She said: “I’m satisfied that the evidence from the police officers was both credible and reliable and that you failed to notify them within three days of receiving your passport.
“I am also satisfied that there is no reasonable excuse for you having done so.
“I’m going to find you guilty.”
The sheriff deferred sentencing to August 14 and ordered background reports.
Following his conviction, Nowak attempted to dispute a Polish drugs conviction on his criminal record.
For more local court content visit our dedicated page or join us on Facebook.
