Girl claims man put in cameras in flat to observe her

A person charged with assaulting a girl and inflicting her hurt in a Letterkenny residence has been remanded in custody.

Decide Éiteáin Cunningham refused bail for Damian Zygmunt when he was introduced earlier than Letterkenny District Courtroom this week.

Zygmunt, a 30-year-old of Riverside View Residences in Letterkenny, was charged with the offence on a date unknown between Might 10-17, 2023 at Riverside View Residences, Letterkenny.

Detective Sergeant Jonathan Sweeney instructed the court docket {that a} name was made to Letterkenny Garda Station on Might 17 by a girl who reported that she was being held in opposition to her will in an residence.

When Gardai arrived, the girl was unable to open the residence and Gardai needed to break down the door to realize entry.

Officers seen accidents on the girl that had been in line with an assault. The girl reported to Gardai that she was held in opposition to her will and alleged that Zygmunt put in monitoring apps on her cellphone and put in a digital camera within the residence to observe her.

On Might 19, Zygmunt was arrested at Riverside View, Decrease Most important Road, Letterkenny.

Detective Sergeant Sweeney instructed the court docket that the complainant hasn’t cooperated with the investigation for the reason that preliminary name, however stated Gardai had been happy that they’d sufficient proof to construct a case.

Solicitor for Zygmunt, Mr Rory O’Brien, requested why it took Gardai two days to arrest his shopper. Gardai stated they had been ‘actively’ in search of the accused till the time of his arrest.

“What’s occurring?” Mr O’Brien requested. “Gardai are asking to remand my shopper, however there isn’t a assertion and there’s an absolute denial from my shopper.”

Mr O’Brien stated he was making use of for bail on behalf of Zygmunt as there was ‘successfully no basis to underpin the cost’.

“It will not be truthful for the court docket to remand my shopper in custody pending the result of one thing that won’t materialise. It’s a very skinny case.”

Sergeant Gerard Dalton instructed the court docket {that a} European Arrest Warrant needed to be executed as a way to extradite Zygmunt from Poland in 2019. Sergeant Dalton stated there have been earlier situations the place the accused had dedicated offences whereas on bail and he had a historical past of six bench warrants.

“All of the State now has to do is to levy a cost in opposition to somebody who’s on bail – it’s completely ludicrous,” Mr O’Brien stated. “It’s like: ‘Right here’s a cost, he’s on bail, so remand him. For the State to conjure up a cost like that is totally ridiculous. It leaves each particular person in danger.”

Sergeant Dalton reiterated that Gardai had ‘main considerations’ with granting Zygmunt bail.

Detective Sergeant Sweeney instructed the court docket that Zygmunt has 25 earlier convictions whereas on bail for offences together with assault, assault inflicting hurt, felony harm, public order, escape from lawful custody, possession of medication and obstructing a peace officer.

Beforehand, Zygmunt has served time in jail for assault, manufacturing of an article, assault inflicting hurt, felony harm and the possession of medication for the aim of promoting or in any other case supplying.

He has a complete of 36 earlier convictions, the court docket heard.

Mr O’Brien stated his shopper had a ‘common entitlement to bail until of outstanding circumstances outlined to the court docket’s satisfaction’.

“The substantive proof underpinning that is weak and to permit him to be remanded in custody is grossly unfair,” he stated. “If the court docket has any considerations, they’re simply addressed by circumstances.”

He stated his shopper would adjust to any instructions imposed by the court docket.

Mr O’Brien stated any deviation from circumstances would see Gardai apply for bail to be revoked.

Sergeant Dalton stated that Gardai had a ‘main predicament’ over Zygmunt’s earlier fee of offences whereas on bail and stated the defendant ought to stay in custody.

Decide Cunningham stated Zygmunt could possibly be assured that the presumption of innocence stays.

Decide Cunningham refused bail, saying she was happy relating to the character of and diploma of seriousness of the offence, of the sentence more likely to be imposed and that the variety of earlier offences whereas on bail indicated persistent critical offending.

Decide Cunningham stated the prosecution had established a probability of the accused trying to evade justice, noting two earlier convictions for non-appearance at court docket and a priority that he was a flight threat.

The accused will seem once more through video hyperlink earlier than Thursday’s sitting of Letterkenny District Courtroom.

Girl claims man put in cameras in flat to observe her was final modified: Might twenty fourth, 2023 by Workers Author