Corkman attacked by motorists he tried to help after car crash

One of the accused failed to appear in court for his sentencing.

Donatas Ravaikas was sentenced at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to two years in jail for his part in the assault.

An Inchigeela man who came to the assistance of two Lithuanian men when their car crashed into a field at a bad bend ended up being attacked by the men he helped.

Garda Padraig Dennehy described the violent incident at Cork Circuit Criminal Court where two men in their 30s faced sentencing on charges that included assault causing harm.

Donatas Ravaikas was sentenced to two years in jail for his part in the assault. A bench warrant was issued for the arrest of the co-accused, Ovidijus Remeika, who failed to appear in court for his sentencing. The two men had been living at Castle Street in Macroom at the time.

Garda Dennehy said that after midnight on January 21, 2020, the incident occurred in the rural area of Graigue, Inchigeela, 15 kilometres west of Macroom.

The car with the two Lithuanian man crashed into a field. The owner of a house heard the crash and contacted her son about the car in difficulty in the field. 

Michael Twomey arrived and went to the assistance of the two men who were trying to push the car out of the field. He went away and got ropes and tried to tow it out of the field but this proved unsuccessful.

Mr Twomey returned to his mother’s house. Ravaikas approached the house and attacked Mr Twomey punching him a number of times. 

This man then got into Mr Twomey’s car and tried to start it using the key from the crashed car.

At one stage the handbrake was lifted and the car began to roll.

“Marguerite Twomey jumped into the passenger seat and pulled up the handbrake,” Garda Dennehy said. 

At that time the co-accused, Remeika, was assaulting Michael Twomey.

The accused try to escape

Both men ran away. Gardaí arrived and searched the area and found both accused. They had tried to cross a river in the course of their escape and were found hiding on the night which was bitterly cold.

Emmet Boyle, barrister, said Ravaikas was intoxicated on the night. He said that when the accused sobered up and was interviewed by gardaí he apologised a number of times for his behaviour on the night.

Judge Ó Donnabháin said: “This is a very difficult crime to understand. The victim was offering active help to the defendant when he was set about and assaulted. 

"I don’t know what triggered the assault. Why the accused or anyone else would set about Mr Twomey is very difficult to understand particularly when they crashed their car and were in need of help late at night."