Edgars Slavinskis jailed for six years over Ipswich attack

A 30-year-old man who fled the country after a violent unprovoked assault on an Ipswich man who later died from natural causes has been jailed for six years and eight months.

Edgars Slavinskis was arrested at Stansted Airport in April this year - four years after he attacked 40-year-old Raimonds Gromolds at his home in Harland Street, Ipswich, on June 9, 2019.

Mr Gromolds suffered extensive head and facial injuries and damage to his spleen in the attack and died in 2021.  

Slavinskis originally faced a murder charge, but this was dropped in June after it was found Mr Gormolds died of natural causes. 

Raimonds Gromolds died after an attack in Harland Street, Ipswich (Image: Google Maps)

Slavinskis, of Eclipse Court, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Gromolds with intent.

He also admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice by sending a message to Mr Gromolds on the day of the attack asking him not to make a statement to the police about the assault.

Sentencing Slavinskis at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday (July 27) Judge Martyn Levett said: “This was a persistent, unnecessary and unprovoked attack on an innocent man in his own home. 

“Having knocked him unconscious, you continued to assault him in that vulnerable state with your fists, laying into him and causing significant injury to his face and head, fracturing his cheek bone, his eye socket, breaking his nose in several places and causing lacerations requiring stitches.”

“This case yet again represents a small but growing number of incidents which occur just outside or just inside people's own homes where they expect to be safe. 

“These incidents are born from excessive drinking, anger, and jealousy.

"They occur either very late at night or in the early morning, after offenders have consumed a considerable quantity of drink or unlawful drugs and begin to represent the catalogue of violent incidents which significantly affect the safety and reputation of local communities. 

"The public needs reassurance that these areas are safe,” added the judge.

The court heard the defendant had knocked on the victim's door at around 4am looking for his girlfriend who had been on a night out with Mr Gromolds partner. 

In a statement taken at the time of the attack, Mr Gromolds said he remembered being punched by Slavinskis on his doorstep but then blacked out and did not wake up until he was in A&E. 

Mr Gromolds, who was unable to work after the incident, said the pain to his head and stomach was the "worst he had ever felt in his life".

Stephen Rose KC for Slavinskis, said his client was "remorseful" and had no history of violence. 

He said he was a hard-working family man with two children and was keen “to make the best of himself."