A man who had no recollection of mugging former television presenter Anna Nolan, has received a three-year suspended sentence from Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Dainius Grazulis (23), of St Bricin's Park, Broadstone, grabbed Ms Nolan by her hair and dragged her to the ground as she was walking home having met her family for dinner in Dublin.
She was left with a swollen and bruised eye, a sore neck and a graze to her hand after the attack, and it was later discovered that Grazulis had also taken her mobile phone.
Grazulis, an agricultural engineering student from Lithuania, pleaded guilty to assault causing Ms Nolan harm on Long Lane, in the Liberties, on August 8th, 2005. Judge O'Donnell said it was good to know there were at least three good Samaritans left in Dublin after he heard that three men helped to apprehend Ms Nolan's attacker and hold him until gardaí arrived.
He asked prosecuting Garda Stephen Walsh if Grazulis's apologies, that he expressed during interview, had been passed on to Ms Nolan because her victim impact statement indicated that she received no explanation or no expression of regret for what happened her.
Garda Walsh confirmed that Ms Nolan was told of Grazulis's remorse and Judge O'Donnell replied that he hoped this was of "some consequence" for the victim. He said he had to accept evidence that Grazulis "apparently has a complete blank" about the incident and that he had no previous convictions either here or in Lithuania.
He suspended the three-year sentence on Grazulis's own bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for four years.
Garda Walsh told Anne Rowland BL, prosecuting, that Grazulis told Ms Nolan to "sshhh" and that he was going to kill her after she started screaming when he pinned her to the ground.
Grazulis ran off after Ms Nolan struggled to try and remove her backpack but a passerby chased after him and followed him down a cul-de-sac. This man then sought help from two other men who apprehended Grazulis and held him on the ground until gardaí arrived.