This article is from page 3 of the 2007-05-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
A LITHUANIAN man who falsely imprisoned and threatened to kill a 40-year-old woman in Ennis has been jailed for three years.
Ennis Circuit Court heard yesterday that the attack was “unprovoked” and the woman was “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
Arturas Kupriscenka (22), of Hol- land’s Place, Liscannor, also admit- ted assaulting the woman and steal- ing her handbag in the early hours of October 15 last year.
Garda Trevor Sheehan said the woman was walking towards Sand- field Place when the accused pulled up alongside her in his car. He jumped out of the car, grabbed her and forced her into the car. He then locked the door and drove off at speed in the di- rection of Galway.
He hit her with the back of his hand. He drove as far as Ballyalla and beat her to the face and body. He tried to rip her clothes off, but she fought back. He put his hand up to her mouth and threatened to kill her.
‘He told her to shut up or he would
kill her. She was terrified. She put up a huge struggle,” he said.
Kupriscenka eventually opened the door of the car and threw her out and she managed to make her way to a house in Ballyalla and raise the rUPDeOee
Kupriscenka was arrested shortly afterwards on suspicion of drink driving at a Garda checkpoint.
The court was told that the victim suffered extensive bruising and spent four days in hospital. She continues to suffer emotionally.
Defence Counsel John Edwards,
SC, said his client was not charged with abduction and was denying that he had dragged her in to the car.
‘His contention was she had sought a lift from him and he had given her a lift,’ said Mr Edwards.
He said that Kupriscenka, who has lived in Ireland for almost two years, had a difficult upbringing in his na- OAM COUNT RA
He said he had drank six pints and four double vodkas and he could not remember a lot of what happened that night. Kupriscenka apologised in court.
Judge Carroll Moran said the case was “disturbing”.
‘There was no reason for the ac- cused to attack this lady. He didn’t know her and she didn’t know him. I haven’t been given any explanation as to why he did this. . . Clearly this is worrying because this sort of thing could happen again,” he said.
He said he was obliged to accept that the accused gave the woman a lift, rather than drag her into the car.
He imposed a four year jail term and suspended one year because he had pleaded guilty.