A firefighter accused of sexually assaulting two teenagers on a beach has been told he can leave the country to visit his ailing father. Poland.
Dawid Wlach, 35, appeared in court to answer charges of two counts of rape and sexual assault against one victim and sexual assault against the other.
The attacks are said to have taken place on Great Yarmouth beach in Norfolk on the night of May 15 or in the early hours of May 16 this year.
Both men spoke separately in the dock at King’s Lynn Crown Court today, where married father-of-four Ilinca spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him at an earlier hearing.
Wlach, who also denied all charges against him, was joined in court by his fiancée of 12 years, Monika Wrona.
She was told she had to pay a £20,000 bail to the court and hand over her passport to police if Wlech was allowed to visit his father, who has stage 4 cancer.
Wlach, who has lived in Britain with Ms Wrona for 10 years, was forced to surrender his passport in May after being arrested.
Firefighter Dawid Wlach, 35, leaves King’s Lynn Crown Court with his fiancée, Monika Wrona. He denies all charges against him
Ilinca, who had been out of the country, was arrested after re-entering Britain in June.
Nneka Akudolu KC, defending Wlach, said: ‘There appears to be no reasonable reason for the Crown to believe that this defendant will not return to Britain.
“From the time of his arrest, he has been accommodating and cooperative when necessary. He has already had several long discussions with his lawyers and is fully involved in the process.
‘When he was arrested in May, he gave an interview of just under two hours to police.
‘It is unfortunate that after his arrest he felt he had no choice to resign from the fire service, a job he has worked hard and happily for seven years.’
After discussing a court case in December this year, Ms Akudolu said of her client’s father: ‘This man is extremely ill. I was told his cancer is stage 4.
‘The worrying concern is this defendant, who is 35 and has never been in court before… His four months on bail in this country could mean he never sees his father again.
‘Unfortunately he has resigned from his position in the fire brigade, but has very strong ties here.
Romanian Madalin Ilinca, 34, denies rape, sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault in connection with the same incident
‘He has a fiancée. They lived in this country for ten years.
‘His fiancée, with whom he has been in a relationship for almost 12 years and who came to this country with him, works in a very responsible position at an energy company in Ipswich.
‘However, she is in a position to pay or obtain a bail of £10,000.
“They are not a family of significant means. Mr Wlach would not put his partner at financial risk by not surrendering to custody.
‘Your Honor has also seen a letter [from] her father who, despite this defendant’s behavior, still holds him in high esteem.’
Recorder Justin Rouse KC told Wlach he would vary the bail conditions to allow Wlach to visit his father.
‘The accused must present a return flight ticket to the police before returning his passport. It must be surrendered again on September 6,” he said.
Turning to Mrs Wrona, he added: ‘You give the officers your passport and you get it back when he comes back and he passes it on. [his passport] back to the police.’
Police received reports of two teenage girls allegedly raped in the sand dunes behind the Premier Inn on the seafront in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
The police were called on May 16 at 12:37 p.m following reports that two girls had been raped in the sand dunes next to South Beach Parade in Great Yarmouth, behind a Premier Inn.
They have cordoned off a 100 meter wide dune area between the beach and the back of the budget hotel, which has 81 bedrooms.
The scene is close to the Pleasure Beach amusement park and overlooked by the Wellington Pier.
Just meters from where the girls were attacked is a group of tents used by homeless people.
Semi-retired window fitter Andrew Bird, 62, who was living in a tent in the dunes after recently losing his accommodation, said he woke up on Saturday morning to find the area cordoned off.
He said: ‘I saw the tape and thought, “What the hell is going on?” The officer didn’t want to tell me because of the ongoing investigation and I left it at that.
“I don’t think anyone here heard or saw anything.”
He added: ‘This is actually a quiet area because it is outside the city centre, so people come here in tents to avoid having their things stolen.’
A view of the Pleasure Beach amusement park, near where the two teenagers were allegedly attacked
Taxi driver Jamie Zmich, 33, said: ‘I was driving to work at around 4.10am on Saturday morning when I saw four or five police cars.
‘Some were parked in the Premier Inn car park and others in the side road leading to the beach. I wondered what had happened.
‘I was very sad when I heard that the girls had been raped.’
Chief Inspector Nick Paling, District Commander for Great Yarmouth, said at the time: ‘We recognize how shocking and distressing these incidents are for the victims, their families and the wider community.
“Specialist officers have been deployed to support both girls while we carry out these investigations.
‘There will be an increased police presence in the area, with officers conducting reassurance patrols.’
Ilinca appeared close to tears as he stood with both hands next to a security guard in the glass dock of Norwich Magistrates Court in June.
Prosecutor Katherine Newson told the hearing: ‘Police received a call that two women had been attacked near the Premier Inn on Great Yarmouth seafront.
Wlach was told he could visit his ailing father in Poland if his fiancée paid a £20,000 bail to the court and handed over her passport to the police.
‘The police attended and spoke to the two complainants. Both provided (later) video recordings of interviews.
‘They were in Great Yarmouth and came across another man, not the defendant. He got alcohol and the group stayed together.
‘During this time, Ilinca approached the group. It is alleged he sexually assaulted one of the complainants at the back of the hotel.
“All parties went onto the beach where the allegations of rape and sexual penetration took place.
‘Police say there is evidence that Mr Ilinca is following the group in Great Yarmouth.’
Ms Newson said police issued a press release on May 17 about the reported rape of the two girls and that Ilinca left the country for Romania on May 19.
She added that the two teenage complainants were “previously strangers to the defendant.”
Michael Cole, defending, said: ‘From my brief conversation with the defendant it appears that the issue in this case will be consent and the reasonableness of his belief that there was consent.
“He tells me there was nothing sinister about him leaving this country for Romania on May 19. That was because his mother was ill and he has evidence to prove that.
“It is my understanding that he returned to this country voluntarily and was arrested at the (port) on June 5 and subsequently interrogated.”
Wlach, from Caister-on-Sea, about four miles from Great Yarmouth, smiled at his fiancée as he left the dock, and the couple held hands as they left the building.
Ilinca, from Great Yarmouth, remains in custody.
