Gardaí found duct tape, cable ties and work tools in the back of van registered to a man accused of carrying out random attacks on women.
Slawomir Gierlowski (33) of Galtymore Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, denies attacking three women on dates in 2011, 2015 and 2016 at locations around Clondalkin, Co Dublin.
In the May 2016 incident a man armed with a knife attacked a woman as she was walking to a Luas stop. The woman told the court last week that she thought the man was going to slit her throat and she grabbed the blade to stop that happening.
On day seven of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Garda Sgt Katherina Joyce told the jury that on May 20th, 2016, she was made aware of a VW Crafter van believed to be connected to this incident. The jury heard that the registered owner of this van was Mr Gierlowski.
Sgt Joyce said on the basis of this information she obtained a warrant at Blanchardstown District Court to search Mr Gierlowski’s address on Galtymore road.
Garda Ronan O’Malley said he was part of the team that searched Mr Gierlowski’s home on June 1st 2016. He said he searched an upstairs master bedroom and found a blue-green jacket which he seized as evidence.
He agreed that there was another man living in the house and he was using a downstairs room as a bedroom. He said he didn’t search this room.
Search of this room
Det Garda Brian O’Shaughnessy told Orla Crowe SC, defending, that he did search this room but that he didn’t seize anything of evidential value. He said he did not make any note of his search of this room.
“That room, as far as I can recall, was being rented out by a different gentleman in the house,” he said. He said he has no record of taking anything from that room.
He said he seized the VW Crafter van with registration number 08-D-20729, from the front of the house. Garda David Harte testified that he carried out a search later that same day.
Shown photographs
He said he seized a roll of grey duct tape and an open packet of black cable ties. The jury were shown photographs taken by gardaí of the van showing it fitted out with a shelving unit.
The jury heard the van also contained a high-visibility jacket, a ladder, a spirit level, drills and extension leads.
Mr Gierlowski denies falsely imprisoning and assaulting the woman on May 16th 2016. He also denies having a hunting knife with intent to intimidate on the same occasion.
He also denies the false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault of a second woman on September 3rd 2015. He also denies the false imprisonment, sexual assault and assault of a third woman on September 11th, 2011.
The trial continues.