A tale of Eastern –European intrigue was played out at a special sitting of Mullingar District Court this week involving sex, drugs and violence.
The trial revolved around an assault on Jaroslav Jankovskij that took place in his home at 47 Ardleigh Crescent before midnight on June 9 last year.
The accused, fellow Lithuanian Marius Buividacius was found guilty of the assault which saw Mr Jankovskij receive “extensive injuries” to his face, including cuts and bruises.
When Garda Joan O’Reilly attended at Mullingar Hospital to take photographs, she it was hard to communicate with the victim who couldn’t speak much because of bruising around his mouth.
Detective Garda Eugene Dunne described to the court photographs which showed blood on the floor, the couch, on a door and wall.
Mr Jankovskij told the court that he had fallen asleep on the couch after drinking with his friend while watching TV. He was awoken by noise and found people surrounding him. He gave evidence of how the accused had struck him and then he couldn’t remember any more.
He recognised the accused because he was known to him. He had bought drugs, grass from Mr Buividacius on several occasions, he said and he was sure it was him. He suggested that the assault may have been motivated by a drugs debt. The accused had phoned him about money he owed but he insisted there was no debt.
Garda Michael Daniels gave evidence of attending the scene and told the court he had recovered what might have been a weapon. He also described an informal ID parade which took place at the Harbour Place Shopping Centre during which the injured party recognised the accused as the person who had assaulted him.
Ms Patricia Cronin said her client disputed that he had been in the area at all because he had been staying with his lover while his wife was on holiday in Lithuania. He had not told the Gardaí during his initial questioning because he did not want his wife to find out.
In the event, she did find out and the marriage broke up.
She also questioned the injured party’s credibility saying that he had sent a text to the accused demanding a payment of €10,000 or he would go to prison. Mr Jankovskij admitted he had sent the text but maintained he understood it was normal to try to settle disputes before they went to court. He said he was also unable to work after the assault.
The whole case was built on an opportunity to make money, she told the court.
Ms Deimainte Bjuzinaite, the accused’s lover gave evidence to the court that he had been at home with her all evening. However she was unable to account for a period of time while she was in the shower.
At the time of the offence, she had known the accused for less than a month. They had met on May 14 she said and the affair began the same night. While his wife was away he spent every night with her at her sister’s home.
Judge John Lindsay said that he did not find the alibi witnesses credible and that the injured party was “much more convincing than the defendant.”
He said that Mr Jankovskij had suffered “a brutal beating.”
He sentenced the accused to six months imprisonment which he suspended for twelve months and ordered him to pay a fine of €1,000.
