Brion Hoban and Sonya McLean
A Polish national who attacked his partner and her friend after returning home drunk from a work function has been given a two-year suspended sentence.
Remigivsu Piotrowski (44) was arrested by gardaí following the assaults and headbutted the cage door of a garda van while being transported to a garda station.
Piotrowski of Walkinstown Park, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to two women at his address on October 5th, 2019.
He also pleaded guilty to resisting a peace officer at Walkinstown Park, Dublin, and at Crumlin Road, Crumlin, also on October 5, 2019. He has no previous convictions.
Judge Karen O'Connor had adjourned the case last January following evidence to allow for the preparation of a probation report.
Anger issues
Today she accepted the Piotrowski had lost control on the night in question and has since taken steps to deal with his anger issues.
Judge O’Connor described his girlfriend’s victim impact statement as “compelling” and noted that she praised the gardaí for the manner and speed in which they dealt with the incident.
She said the probation report prepared for the case was detailed and acknowledged that it had made a number of specific recommendations in relation to assisting Piotrowski in his continuing rehabilitation.
Judge O’Connor noted that Piotrowski had €5,200 in court to offer as “an expression of his remorse” and ordered that €5,000 of that be handed over to his girlfriend while the remainder should go to her friend.
She suspended a two-year sentence on strict conditions, including that he stay away from both women during those two years, that he engage with the Probation Service for two years and undergo any anger management and victim focused work as recommended by them and that he inform his probation officer of any new relationships.
Garda David O'Driscoll told Antonia Boyle BL, prosecuting, at the sentence hearing last January, that Beata Iwaska had been in a relationship with the defendant for six years and had moved to this country from Poland in order to live with him.
Work function
Gda O'Driscoll said that on the date in question, Ms Iwaska's friend Monika Wilt was present in the house having stayed there the night before. While the defendant was out at a work function, Ms Iwaska invited a male friend of hers to join them in the house.
Piotrowski arrived home and demanded that the other man leave. Ms Iwaska was of the view that the defendant was drunk when he arrived home.
Once this man left, Piotrowski attacked Ms Iwaska. He pushed her onto a couch, punched her to the face and body and pulled her hair.
Ms Wilt attempted to intervene and pushed the defendant against a clothing rack. Piotrowski then punched her in the head and knocked her to the ground.
The assault ended when Piotrowski went upstairs and the women were able to leave the house. Gardaí arrived and the women told them that Piotrowski was still in the house.
Arrest
Five gardaí entered the house to arrest Piotrowski, who became aggressive and lashed out at them before he was restrained and placed in handcuffs. En route to the garda station, Piotrowski continued to lash out and headbutted the cage door of the van while shouting at gardaí.
Gda O'Driscoll agreed with Shaun Smyth BL, defending, that his client has complied with the terms of his bail to stay away from both of the women. He agreed Piotrowski is from Poland and has been living in Ireland for 12 years.
Mr Smyth said his client had been drinking vodka at the work function and the adverse effects of this led him to leave early. He said his client now attends weekly alcohol anonymous meetings and has enrolled in an anger management course.
Counsel said his client appears to have ceased the assault of his own volition and that he is “deeply ashamed” of the violence he inflicted. He said his client had €5,200 with him in court to offer to the victims.
