TWO thugs have been jailed for 13 years after they forced their way in to a woman’s home, then bound, gagged and attacked her with a taser gun.

Kim Hyde told police officers she thought she was going to die during the horrific incident at her home in Woodside, Leigh.

She managed to wrestle the gun off her attackers, but they overpowered her.

Yesterday, at Basildon Crown Court, Polish national, Marcin Stecki, was jailed for 13 years and eight months for aggravated burglary, possession of an offensive weapon and assault His accomplice, Jacek Cupial, received 13 years and one month for his part in the incident, at an earlier hearing.

Both are wanted on international arrest warrants for violent crimes in their native Poland and will return there after serving their sentences.

Det Con Mark Sawyer, from Southend CID, described it as one of the most “illogical, motiveless and disturbing” cases he has investigated in 12 years as a police officer.

Catherine Bradshaw, prosecuting, told the court Stecki and Cupial knocked at Mrs Hyde’s door, and speaking in broken English, offered to do garden work on July 24 last year.

Mrs Hyde told them she had a gardener. As she went to close the door, the pair barged into the house and attacked her with Stecki putting her in a headlock and forcing her to the floor to keep her still.

They then bundled her into a bedroom, where Stecki put his hand over her mouth, told her to be quiet and shoved her face into the carpet. He then took out a taser gun and zapped her head, chest and body.

Ms Bradshaw said: “She was extremely scared, she was screaming and struggling for her life. Mrs Hyde thought she was going to be killed.”

The pair then began shouting “money” at Mrs Hyde while striking her on her head and body.

Mrs Hyde managed to wrestle the taser gun from them and attempted to stun them with it, but they over-powered her, took out a roll of tape and wrapped it around her head to cover her mouth.

The court heard the pair then began opening the drawers in the bedroom before they made off, leaving her.

At a previous hearing it was heard Stecki only took £50 during the incident.

Mrs Hyde suffered a fractured eye socket, cuts and bruises in the attack.

Stecki was tracked down by police after leaving a bloodied handprint on the wall of Mrs Hyde’s bedroom.

Police caught up with him two months later when he was arrested for a burglary in Slough and police matched his prints on the national computer.

Yob yells foul abuse at lawyer and judge

Evil thug Marcin Stecki used a taxpayer-funded interpreter to hurl abuse at a judge and prosecution lawyer during his court appearance.

Stecki, who sacked his defence barrister at an earlier hearing, repeatedly interrupted prosecuting barrister Catherine Bradshaw as she told the court the details of his attack on Kim Hyde.

He also told Judge John Lodge to “**** off” as he was sentenced for the sickening crime.

As Ms Bradshaw told the court the shocking details of how he bound and gagged Kim Hyde he called out from the dock.

His interpreter translating, “Hurry up. Have you finished yet? You better finish off real quick.”

As the judge sentenced Stecki to 13 years and eight months he again called out from the dock.

His interpreter translated: “**** you. **** off!”

As the judge finished his sentencing remarks Stecki said “Mmmmm” and shrugged his shoulders before being led out of the dock by two guards.

Addressing the court as Stecki was led away, the judge said: “This was a nasty, vicious and unpleasant attack.

“I curtailed my sentencing remarks because Mr Stecki was struggling to follow proceedings. This does not detract from the seriousness of this offence or the impact it has had on the victim.”

When asked if had anything to say in his defence, Stecki shrugged his shoulders and said “no”.

Echo: Quiet – the road where the attack took place

Detective pays tribute to resilience of victim

A DETECTIVE has praised the bravery of a woman who was attacked in her home, claiming her resilience probably saved her life.

Det Con Mark Sawyer, from Southend CID, said the fact Mrs Hyde had fought back may have saved her life.

He said: “It has been a long process to get this case to this point.

“The attack itself was horrific.

“I have been a police officer for 12 years and a detective for CID for five years and I have never heard of, or investigated, an incident so serious, so motiveless and with so little logic behind it.

“It is important for me to pay tribute to the bravery of the victim in this case.

“Her resilience and the strength she found on that day to fight back against her attackers saved her life.”

Mr Sawyer described the case as “unique” and said Stecki and Cupial’s clumsiness helped officers collect vital DNA evidence and clues, which led to their arrest.

Stecki was traced after leaving a bloodied palm print in Mrs Hyde’s house while Cupial was picked up after he was arrested for stealing cars from the hire company he worked for at Heathrow Airport.

Mr Sawyer said the pair were intent on committing crime.

He added: “The most disturbing part of this incident is that Stecki and Cupial travelled to Essex prepared.

“They brought the tape and the stun gun. They were not just opportunists.”

He added: “I am extremely pleased with the sentence given to Stecki and Cupial.

“Not just because it shows how serious this case was, but because it will hopefully give the victim some peace of mind that these two criminals are off the streets and that justice has been done.”