Female lodger 'played dead' during alleged strangulation attack in Dublin home

Tom Tuite

A terrified woman "played dead" while being strangled by her housemate before she made an "SOS call" screaming for help in Dublin, a court has heard.

Delivery driver Donatas Jankauskas (44) of Woodlawn Close, Santry, Dublin 9, was charged with assaulting the female lodger at his home on May 30th.

Bail was denied on Monday by Judge Áine Clancy at Dublin District Court.

He is also accused of connected offences: assault of a garda, resisting arrest, and criminal damage.

Judge Clancy heard the Lithuanian national denies the charges.

The incident occurred at the accused's rented home, where Jankauskas was the main tenant who had sublet a room to the woman for the past year.

Garda Sean Lally opposed bail, telling Judge Clancy that the case involved "an extreme, harrowing assault by means of strangulation".

The court heard that at just after 4am on Saturday, garda command and control received an SOS phone call from the lodger, "who was screaming down the phone for assistance".

Two garda units responded, and four officers met the victim in a distressed state.

Garda Lally told the court there had been a physical struggle and that the accused broke a mirror and a bed. The woman had facial bruising, and the room was ransacked, the court heard.

Mr Jankauskas, who was still on the property, was allegedly intoxicated and aggressive to gardaí, resisting arrest and attempts to handcuff him.

Garda Lally maintained that the accused told him to "fuck off" before being taken to Ballymun station.

Judge Clancy was told the man became violent while being processed and that he kicked another garda "full force, causing harm".

The woman, with the aid of a Turkish interpreter, told gardaí that there was a knock on her door, and the accused barged into her room, and "swung her around so her back was to his chest".

Statement

In her statement, she claimed that the accused put his arm around her, "choking her and causing her to lose breath", the court was told.

Jankauskas allegedly threw her at a mirror and then to a bed, where she fell onto her back, and the struggling continued. The judge heard that the woman tried to bite his finger, but it had no effect, and the accused allegedly continued strangling her.

Garda Lally said she then decided to play dead, but it had no effect, and eventually "she was able to activate an SOS call on her phone and scream down the line".

The court heard the incident lasted about six minutes and that the pressure around her neck would increase or decrease as she tried to fight back.

Also in her statement, she told gardaí she thought she was going to die.

She did not attend the bail hearing and has moved to temporary emergency accommodation.

Possible witness interference

The court heard there were serious Garda fears about possible witness interference or intimidation if released. The judge noted the case was likely to proceed to the Circuit Court, which has wider sentencing powers.

Garda Lally said imposing conditions would not allay his concerns.

Defence solicitor Patricia Camilon submitted that her client, who did not address the court, contests the case and could be released on conditions, including a no-contact order.

Camilon emphasised that the complainant was now in a new private and protected accommodation.

The solicitor also stressed her client had the presumption of innocence and had lived at the same address for six years.

However, the application was refused, and he was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday. Legal aid was granted.