A DUBLIN MAN has gone on trial accused of carrying out three attacks on women over a five-year period.
Slawomir Gierlowski (33) of Galtymore Road, Drimnagh is charged with falsely imprisoning and assaulting a woman in September 2016 at a location near Naas Rd., Clondalkin, Dublin.
He is also charged with unlawfully having a hunting knife with intent to intimidate on the same occasion.
Gierlowski is also charged with false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault of a second woman at another location in Clondalkin on September 3, 2015.
Finally he is charged with false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault of a third woman at this same location on September 11, 2011.
Today at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court Gierlowski pleaded not guilty to all nine charges. A jury of 12 men has been empanelled for the trial.
On the first day of the trial a woman in her mid 20s described how she was left covered in blood after being attacked by a man outside her home in September 2011.
She said she had gone out socialising earlier on the evening of September 10 and was walking home when she saw a man walking behind her very quickly.
She told Roisin Lacey SC, prosecuting, that she got a fright as the man was quite close. She said “hello” to the man and he said “hello” back and spoke in an eastern European accent.
This man walked on and she continued to walk home but was nervous. When she got to her driveway she turned around and a man lunged at her from behind, she said. He pushed her onto the ground and on her back and she was screaming for him to get off.
“He had his hand around my mouth. He was on top of me. I was trying to pull his hand off my mouth,” she testified. She said was screaming loudly at him to “please stop” and the man just said “sssh” to her.
She said she didn’t see him because it was too dark and she was focused on fighting him off. Her attacker put his hand up her skirt and touched her genital area outside her underwear, the court heard.
The witness said the man was strong but she managed to kick out and get up from under him.
“I ran towards my door. He grabbed my arm and flung me around and I fell,” she said.
The man got on top of her again and put his two hands around her neck. The woman scratched and bit his face and the man began punching her.
She said he hit her around six times and then the attack just stopped. She ran to her house and was banging on the front door.
Her father told the trial that he was woken by the sounds of screaming and banging. He said he went to the front door.
I could see my daughter’s face red with blood through the glass in the door.
He said his daughter was still screaming when she came into the house and gardaí were called.
He said he ran outside and saw a parked car with unusual rear lights. His wife said their daughter was covered with blood. The court heard that as a result of the assault the alleged victim’s nose was broken and she suffered two swollen black eyes.
It is the State’s case that the accused carried out this attack and two other attacks. The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd.
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