Polish van driver who once turned himself into a human torch is banned from entering Hartlepool for five years

Kamil Kalwarski, 40, was given a two year restraining order preventing him from contacting his former partner who lives in the town with their daughters when he was jailed for various offences against her in December 2020.

He was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court to 18 months for 16 offences including court order breaches, assault, and sending electronic communications with intent to cause distress and anxiety.

And in an affray at Teesside Magistrates Court in July 2020 he set himself on fire by pouring hand sanitiser over his left arm, flicked a lighter and rushed at a district judge.

On Wednesday, Judge Chris Smith amended the restraining order to run for another five years with fresh conditions against the Polish van driver.

They include not to go within 5km of Hartlepool railway station.

He is banned from attempting to contact his former partner by any means including social media, and should not enter any premises where he believes she is present or use any images of her.

Any breach of the restraining order risks a five year jail sentence, but if circumstances change he can apply for a variation, the judge told him.

Kalwarski, of Wilton Street, Middlesbrough, gave evidence at a previous court hearing by videolink but in his judgement Judge Smith said: “I found him to be an unreliable witness.

“He left me with a clear impression that he was a man whose thoughts were dominated by a belief that he had to protect his daughters.”