DNA evidence ‘links man’ to attacks on three women in Dublin

A man has gone on trial accused of carrying out three attacks on women over a five year period.

Slawomir Gierlowski (33), of Galtymore Road, Drimnagh, is charged at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court with falsely imprisoning and assaulting a woman in September 2016 at a location near the Naas Road in Clondalkin.

He is also charged with unlawfully having a hunting knife with intent to intimidate on the same occasion.

Mr Gierlowski is also charged with false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault of a second woman at another location in Clondalkin on September 3rd, 2015. He is also charged with false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault of a third woman on September 11th, 2011.

The prosecution says it has DNA evidence linking the accused to the three attacks. Mr Gierlowski has pleaded not guilty to all nine charges.

A woman in her mid 20s told the court she was left covered in blood after being attacked by a man outside her home on September 11th, 2011.

She was walking home after a night out and noticed a man approaching quickly from behind, which she said gave her fright as he was quite close.

She told Róisín Lacey SC, prosecuting, that she said "hello" to the man and he said "hello" back and spoke with an eastern European accent. The man walked on and she continued to walk home.

Screaming

When she got to her driveway she turned around and a man lunged at her from behind, she said. He pushed her onto her back and she was screaming for him to get off.

“He had his hand around my mouth,” she said, adding that she was screaming loudly at him to stop and that he just said “sssh” to her.

She said she did not see the man because it was too dark and she was focused on fighting him off. Her attacker put his hand up her skirt and touched her genital area outside her underwear. The witness managed to kick out and get up from under him and rand to the door.

“He grabbed my arm and flung me around and I fell,” she said.

The man got on top of her again and put his two hands around her neck. The woman scratched and bit his face and the man began punching her. She said he hit her about six times and then the attack just stopped. She ran to her house and was banging on the front door.

Her father told the trial that he was woken by the sounds of screaming and banging. He said he went to the front door.

“I could see my daughter’s face red with blood through the glass in the door,” he said.

He called gardaí and then ran outside and saw a parked car with unusual rear lights. The court heard that as a result of the assault the alleged victim’s nose was broken and she suffered two swollen black eyes.

It is the State’s case that the accused carried out this attack.

The trial continues before Judge Pauline Codd.