A POLISH man who beat up a woman at Blackburn has learned of his 10 months jail term by text after leaving the country.

Boguslaw Plociennik had been convicted by a jury of assaulting a female who had some hair pulled out and suffered bruising to her head, neck, chest, breast, abdomen, arms and legs.

He failed to appear at Preston Crown Court for sentencing and is believed to have left the country.

Earlier in the morning had sent a text to his solicitors indicating he would not be at court, wanted to be sentenced in his absence and then to be informed of the result.

Plociennik, 46, formerly of Preston New Road, Blackburn had been found guilty after trial of a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The offence dated back to November 2009. He was cleared of an alleged sex attack on the woman and false imprisonment.

The court heard that the woman's injuries had included a seven-by-three centimetre area of hair loss on her scalp.

There had been a row and Plociennik became angry and used violence.

At his trial, he claimed he had merely given her one minor slap, as a result of the argument.

But the woman had spoken of him twisting her arms, pulled her hair and also hitting her in the face. She was screaming, trying to get away and he had been hitting her all over her body.

Plociennik had lived in this country a number of years and did not have any previous convictions for violence.

Defence barrister Ken Hind told the court that his solicitors rang Plociennik's number to remind him of the sentencing hearing the following day, but the ring tone seemed to suggest he was not in the UK.

Then on the day of the court hearing the test from Plociennik was received.

Judge Pamela Badley sentenced him in his absence to 10 months prison.

She granted a prosecution application for a warrant without bail for the defendant's arrest.

Following the hearing, Mr Hind said the ‘sentencing text’ was a first.

He added: “His passport was seized as part of his bail conditions, but he’s managed to get through somehow.

“If he ever lands on British soil he’ll be arrested at port of entry and jailed.

"But I can’t say if he’ll be back.”