Watch: Knife-wielding burglar tasered after Gravesend spree

Jacek Gralak, 25, was subdued by officers following a frantic spree, in which he entered two homes armed with a blade in 2020.

He was jailed for eight-and-a-half years at Maidstone’s Nightingale Court on August 21, after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated burglary, actual bodily harm and possessing a bladed article.

Gralak, of Kent Road, Gravesend, first entered an address on Wrotham Road at around 7.45pm, as the occupant briefly placed rubbish in a skip in his front garden.

Gralak was subdued with a taser

He returned to find Gralak, who pushed him onto the sofa after a brief exchange, before lunging at him several times with a knife, failing to make contact.

Gralak then fled on foot, walking towards the junction with Essex Road, where he became involved in a second altercation with a different man.

He pulled a knife on the victim and kicked him to the floor, before running away when other members of the public intervened.

Soon after, Gralak forced his way into another nearby property.

Once inside the Essex Road address, he punched and kicked a man, also threatening him with a knife.

The occupant was able to retreat into a conservatory for safety.

Police officers arrived at the scene, running inside after hearing cries of distress.

They found a woman running from the kitchen as they entered, who had been holding the door shut to keep Gralak on the other side.

The officers placed themselves between the woman and Gralak before discharging a taser to bring him under control.

He was taken a local hospital for a precautionary check following his arrest and has since been remanded in custody.

While at the hospital, he attempted to urinate against a wall but was stopped from doing so by a police constable, who Gralak elbowed.

He admitted assaulting the emergency services worker, in addition to the other counts.

Detective Constable Helen Cole, Kent Police’s investigating officer for the case, said: "Gralak inflicted a huge amount of terror upon victims he indiscriminately targeted.

"His offending was excessively violent, completely senseless and has understandably had a profound impact on the people he threatened and assaulted.

"He has shown himself to be a highly dangerous man who has absolutely zero regard for anyone else.

"The officers who were first on scene took quick and decisive action to bring Gralak under control and stop him causing further harm.

"I am pleased that a strong custodial sentence has now been imposed, and I hope this outcome provides the victims with a degree of closure."

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