Romanian jailed for five years for attack

A Romanian man who savagely slashed his ex-girlfriend's face in what was described as "a Transylvanian horror story worthy of the pages of Bram Stoker" has been jailed for five years by Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Eugene Cotizo Murzan went into the Swan Shopping Centre in Rathmines, bought a 'Stanley' knife and waited a number of hours for Ms Marinela Ancuta Gardus to enter.

When she did, they argued before the woman ran down the shopping centre mall to try to get away from Murzan.

He knocked her to the ground and proceeded to slash her across both sides of the face in front of many shoppers, mainly women and children, before fleeing the scene.

Murzan (aged 31), from Blessington Street, Dublin 7, but originally from Transylvania in Romania, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to 21-year-old Ms Gardus on April 27, 2001. He has no previous convictions.

Judge O'Donnell said although Murzan claimed the offence was motivated by terrible jealousy, he could not accept it was a crime of passion.

"This attack was savage, unprovoked, and unjustified. It was premeditated and executed with unwarranted savagery," he said.

"Everytime your victim looks in the mirror to comb her hair she will be reminded of that fatal day. If you had not pleaded guilty I would have jailed you for eight years and although you are a non-national I still think you should serve the entire sentence I impose," he concluded.

Judge O'Donnell also ordered that Murzan be deported as soon as he is released.

Prosecuting counsel, Mr Fergal Foley BL, summarising the case before Judge Frank O'Donnell, described the incident as "a carefully premeditated and carefully prepared vicious and remorseless attack - a Transylvanian horror story worthy of the pages of Bram Stoker".

Ms Gardus, who still lives in Dublin, has been left with five permanent scars on both sides of her face and has lost the use of the little finger on her left hand.

Detective Garda James Donegan said the couple arrived in Ireland together in December 1999 and shared a flat on the Lower Rathmines Road before moving to Blessington Street.

They lived in Dublin together for 16 months before Murzan arrived home from work one day and found that his girlfriend had moved out and left him.

She went to live with friends and was attacked by Murzan.

Det Gda Donegan told Mr Foley that Ms Gardus came from a gypsy background in Romania and that Murzan worked for her father.

The pair fell in love but fled to Germany and then Ireland because Ms Gardus was due to have an arranged marriage in her native Romania.

She would often ring Murzan looking for money after she moved out and he knew she was living in Rathmines because of the number that kept coming up on his phone. He also saw her there one day he was on the bus.

Murzan bought the 'Stanley' knife in a shop called the Treasure Chest in the Swan Centre and then stood at the window of McDonalds for a number of hours waiting for her.

Det Gda Donegan said when Murzan carried out his vicious assault he said to her "that's for you" in Romanian and then ran.

He was pursued by a security guard from Tesco out on to the Lower Rathmines Road, where he was hit by a car but wasn't injured and then ran off down Leinster Road.

The security guard was helped by a passing motorist and the two men cornered him until the gardai arrived. While Murzan was detained in the garda car he said: "I hope I cut her nose off."

Murzan claimed to gardai he planned to slit his throat in front of her but Det Gda Donegan said he rejected this claim because Murzan gave no such indication and also because his statement was made after he had given some thought to his crime.

Det Gda Donegan said he was under the impression that the attack happened just the way Murzan intended it to.

Murzan apologised for what he had done and wished Ms Gardus well for the future.

He had worked in Ireland illegally under a false name since arriving and was also claiming social welfare.

He had applied for residency and his case was pending.

Det Gda Donegan added that Ms Gardus was aware the case was in court but had no wish to attend or to give evidence. A doctor's report concluded that her scars were permanent and she would suffer from the attack for the rest of her life.

Mr Patrick Gageby SC (with Mr Vincent Heneghan BL), for Murzan, said it was obviously a case whereby his client fell deeply in love with a girl and then reacted very badly when the relationship collapsed.

He told Judge O'Donnell: "This crime is rooted in very deep jealousy and I ask you to consider the deep passions which governed my client's actions."