Man attempted to suffocate wife after New Year's party at West Cork home

After guests left, an argument started and husband said he was not appreciated for presents he had bought at Christmas

The judge adjourned the sentencing hearing until May 19. File picture: iStock

A convicted murderer attempted to suffocate his wife after a New Year’s Eve party at their home in West Cork.

He also tore clumps of hair from her head and pulled off eyelash extensions glued on to her eyelids.

Marius Rucinskas pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to his wife on January 1, 2020, at their home at the time in Castletownbere, Co Cork. He is presently living with a friend in Cork city.

Garda Laura O’Sullivan described the attack in evidence at the sentencing hearing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Rucinskas had been drinking from lunchtime on New Year’s Eve. His wife returned home from work at around 5pm and that evening they had some friends over to the house where they drank beer and Jameson whiskey.

After the guests left, an argument started and Rucinskas said he was not appreciated for presents that he had bought at Christmas.

Over the next two to three hours, he assaulted her several times. He left the house a number of times, drove off and then returned a short time later.

He assaulted her by punching and kicking her in the kitchen and following her upstairs to continue the assaults when she tried to hide in an upstairs bedroom.

Garda O’Sullivan said the most serious aspect of the assaults occurred when he forced her face down on to a bed and pushed her face into the bed to the extent that she was in danger of suffocation.

By 5.15am, gardaí at Bantry received a distress phone call; when they tried to ring the number back, it appeared to be dead.

It was later established that Rucinskas had smashed a number of phones, laptops, and the television in the house. He was shouting about how ungrateful she was.

“He started trying to rip off her eyelash extensions,” Garda O’Sullivan said.

Rucinskas said that if he got €2,000 from her the next day, he would be out of her life and she would never see him again.

He had a number of previous convictions from Lithuania, including a 15-year sentence for pre-meditated murder and a false imprisonment-type charge.

The injured party declined to make a victim impact statement.

Rucinskas had been remanded in custody for 13 months until his release in February of this year, at which time he moved to Cork City, took up homeless accommodation, and moved in with a friend.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin asked about the present status of the couple’s relationship. Garda O’Sullivan said: “As far as I am aware she is willing to take him back.” 

Defence barrister Dermot Sheehan said that in the course of the incident on New Year’s Day 2020, the defendant suffered a broken leg and a broken arm.

Referring to the violence of the assault, Judge Ó Donnabháin said: “This was a fairly aggressive undertaking that went on over a period of hours. 

Drink or no drink, it is very hard to understand. 

As for the proposal that the accused would return home, Judge Ó Donnabháin said: “I am asked to take a leap in the dark. I am being asked to more or less let him go home.” 

The judge adjourned the sentencing hearing until May 19, with the accused on continuing bail until then.