Sentence suspended in TV-presenter mugging

A Lithuanian man who had no recollection of mugging former television presenter, Anna Nolan, has received a three year suspended sentence from Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Dainius Grazulis (aged 23) of St Bricin's Park, Broadstone grabbed Ms Nolan by her hair and dragged her to the ground as she was walking home having met her family for dinner.

She was left with a swollen and bruised eye, a sore neck and a graze to her hand after the attack and it was later discovered that Grazulis had also taken her mobile phone.

Grazulis, an agricultural engineering student, pleaded guilty to assault causing Ms Nolan harm on Long Lane on August 8, 2005.

Judge O'Donnell said it was good to know there was at least three good Samaritans left in Dublin- alive and well, after he heard that three men helped apprehend Ms Nolan's attacker and hold him until gardaí arrived.

He asked prosecuting Garda Stephen Walsh if Grazulis's apologies, that he expressed during garda interview, had been passed on to Ms Nolan because her victim impact statement indicated that she received no explanation or no expression of regret for what happened her.

Gda Walsh confirmed that Ms Nolan was told of Grazulis remorse and Judge O'Donnell replied that he hoped this was of "some consequence" for the victim.

He said he had to accept evidence that Grazulis "apparently has a complete blank" about the incident and that he had no previous convictions either here or in Lithuania. He suspended the three year sentence on Grazulis's own bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for four years.

Gda Walsh told Ms Anne Rowland BL, prosecuting, that Grazulis told Ms Nolan to "sshhh" and that he was going to kill her after she started screaming when he pinned her to the ground.

Grazulis ran off after Ms Nolan struggled to try and remove her backpack but a passer-by who witnessed the attack chased after him and followed him down a cul-de-sac. This man then recruited the help of two other men, directing one to block off the laneway and the second man to run around to cover the only other exit.

These two men then apprehended Grazulis when he emerged from the laneway and held him on the ground until the gardaí arrived.

Gda Walsh said when he arrived Ms Nolan's phone was found on Grazulis and he appeared unconscious but the two men indicated that he was just pretending.

He was taken to St James's Hospital where he was diagnosed as being deeply unconscious as a result of a head injury and excessive alcohol consumption.

Gda Walsh said that Grazulis became very upset during an interview with gardaí when he was told a woman had been attacked and he was the culprit. He cried a lot and said he had no recollection of hurting any woman.

Gda Walsh agreed with Ms Lana Fitzsimons BL, defending, that he was concerned enough about Grazulis to call an ambulance and that he noticed during garda interview that her client's face was "fairly cut up".

He accepted that Grazulis was extremely distraught and confused and that he asked him to tell Ms Nolan that he was "very, very sorry for his stupid mistake".

Grazulis couldn't remember the incident and said the last thing he remembered was leaving the pub. He had been at a barbecue earlier in the day where he drank half a bottle of vodka and some beer and that he had more alcohol in the pub.

Gda Walsh agreed that Grazulis was living with his sister in Dublin at the time of the attack and his subsequent bail conditions didn't allow him to leave Ireland, which meant that he was unable to return to Lithuania to continue his degree in agricultural engineering.

Ms Fitzsimons said her client's mother was a primary school teacher while his father was an engineer and the family lived on a 25 acre farm.

Grazulis was studying agricultural engineering at a University in Lithuania and he returned there in August 2006 after a variation in his bail conditions allowed him to return home.

He accepted that Ms Nolan's mobile was found on him but said he had no idea what would have motivated him to attack her.

Ms Fitzsimons said her client offered his "sincere and heartfelt apologies" for the suffering he caused Ms Nolan.