AN investigation has been launched into the actions of police after a violent thug launched a “frenzied knife attack” on a woman a day after he was arrested — and released — for threatening to kill her.

Agnieszka Nawrath was left covered in blood when she was attacked by her boyfriend Arkadiusz Piotr Gawryszewski. He slashed her face, neck and chest.

Yesterday Gawryszewski was jailed for nine years and four months and the court heard the case was now being examined by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Robert Hall, prosecuting told how Gawryszewski and Miss Nawrath, who are both from Poland, moved into a house in Lever Edge Lane, Great Lever, with female friend Katarzyna Gwarczyk in October, 2012.

In June, 2013, Gawryszewski began a relationship with Miss Nawath, who later told police that he was a quiet and helpful man when sober, but became paranoid and aggressive after drinking.

Manchester Crown Court heard he would accuse her of being unfaithful and would threaten to kill her, then himself.

Mr Hall told the court: “Such was the persistence of that that Agnes (Miss Nawrath) believed he was particularly capable of carrying it out.”

He told how Gawryszewski attacked Miss Nawrath at their home on December 6, last year, when they returned from a night out in Bolton.

Gawryszewski, aged 29, grabbed her round the throat and punched her, but she managed to kick him off and he left.

She ended the relationship and he moved to a property nearby in Westbourne Avenue.

But the couple got back together after he apologised and his mother in Poland, concerned that he had few friends in the UK, asked Miss Nawrath to look after him.

However, Gawryszewski’s aggression did not stop and after an evening out on March 8 he again accused her of being unfaithful, pushed her on to the bed and smashed a glass.

He held a shard of glass to her throat. Police were called and he left.

Mr Hall said Gawryszewski became paranoid and aggressive again on the evening of May 3 after the couple had been to the J2 nightclub in Bolton.

During an argument he threatened to kill her and picked up a kitchen knife with a 12cm blade, hidden in a bin when police arrived.

Mr Hall said officers who arrested Gawryszewski noticed Miss Nawrath was nervous and upset.

Gawryszewski denied being violent and police decided to take no further action, releasing him from custody.

Mr Hall said: “It would appear that when Arkad was released nobody told Agnes.”

On May 5 he turned up on her doorstep, forced his way into the house and launched a knife attack on her with such force that the blade snapped.

He slashed her face, neck and chest and continued to attack her with the stub of the knife.

Miss Nawrath managed to break free and bleeding, banged on next door neighbour Linda Powell’s door, only to be dragged back toward her own home by Gawryszewski before Mrs Powell could answer.

Ms Powell, aged 64, saw Gawryszewski trying to pull a blood-covered Miss Nawrath into the house and called police.

Gawryszewski ran off but was found hiding nearby.

In hospital Miss Nawrath’s 13 separate wounds were treated with steri strips and glue and she was released a few hours later.

But in a statement to the court the 35-year-old mother-of-one said she now needs counselling, cannot work and is afraid to be alone.

Gawryszewski pleaded guilty to two counts causing actual bodily harm, wounding with intent and making threats to kill.

Ahmed Nadim, defending said: “He is outraged by what he has done when he looks at his own behaviour in retrospect.”

He added that Gawryszewski’s emotional isolation coupled with alcohol had “created a cocktail of circumstances which led him to behave in the way he has done”.

Mr Nadim said that, on release from prison Gawryszewski intends to return to Poland.

Sentencing Gawryszewski Judge Robert Atherton said alcohol and loneliness had prompted Gawryszewski to become very possessive of his victim.

He said: “It gave rise to an overwhelming degree of jealousy on your part.”

The judge also made a restraining order banning Gawryszewski from ever contacting Miss Nawrath.

Police paid tribute to Miss Nawrath’s bravery.

Det Con Stuart Round said: "She suffered a torrent of abuse at the hands of this man, culminating in a very violent attack during which she was repeatedly attacked with a knife.

"She could easily have lost her life such was the savageness of this attack.

"However, the courage this woman has showed is remarkable and rather than suffer in silence, as sadly many victims do, she stood up to him and reported her ordeal.

"Undoubtedly, her bravery in the face of such violence is the reason we were able to prosecute Gawryszewksi and put a very dangerous man behind bars for more than nine years where he can cause no more harm.”

Police said they could not comment on the IPCC investigation.