Dublin woman strangled by housemate 'played dead' to survive attack, court hears

Donatas Jankauskas (44) of Santry denied bail after being charged with assaulting a female lodger in an early-morning strangulation attack.

Dublin lodger 'played dead' during six-minute strangulation attack, bail refused

A woman strangled by her housemate in the early hours of Saturday morning "played dead" in an attempt to stop the assault before managing to activate an SOS call on her phone, the Irish Times reports.

Donatas Jankauskas (44), a delivery driver of Woodlawn Close, Santry, Dublin 9, was charged with assaulting the female lodger at his home on 30 May. Bail was refused on Monday by Judge Áine Clancy at Dublin District Court.

Jankauskas, a Lithuanian national, also faces connected charges of assaulting a Garda, resisting arrest and criminal damage. He denies all charges.

The woman had been subletting a room from Jankauskas, who was the main tenant at the rented property, for approximately one year. Just after 4am on Saturday, An Garda Síochána received an SOS phone call from the lodger, "who was screaming down the phone for assistance". Two Garda units responded and four officers found her in a distressed state.

Garda Sean Lally told the court the case involved "an extreme, harrowing assault by means of strangulation". He said there had been a physical struggle in which the accused broke a mirror and a bed. The woman sustained facial bruising and the room was ransacked.

Using a Turkish interpreter, the woman told gardaí that Jankauskas knocked on her door before barging in. He allegedly "swung her around so her back was to his chest" and put his arm around her neck, "choking her and causing her to lose breath". She was then allegedly thrown against a mirror and onto a bed, where the struggle continued.

The woman attempted to bite the accused's finger, but this did not stop the assault. She then decided to play dead, though Lally told the court that tactic also had no effect. The pressure around her neck reportedly increased and decreased as she fought back over a period of approximately six minutes. Eventually, she was able to activate an SOS function on her phone and call for help. In her statement, she said she believed she was going to die.

Jankauskas was still at the property when gardaí arrived. Officers described him as intoxicated and aggressive. He resisted arrest and handcuffing and told Garda Lally to "f*** off" before being taken to Ballymun Garda station. He later became violent while being processed and allegedly kicked another Garda "full force, causing harm".

Lally opposed bail, citing serious concerns about potential witness interference or intimidation if Jankauskas were released. Judge Clancy noted the case was likely to proceed to the Circuit Court, which carries wider sentencing powers.

Defence solicitor Patricia Camilon submitted that her client contests the charges and could be released on conditions including a no-contact order. She emphasised that Jankauskas had lived at the property for six years and carries the presumption of innocence. She also noted the complainant had since moved to new, private and protected accommodation.

The bail application was refused and Jankauskas was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday. Legal aid was granted. The injured woman did not attend the hearing and is currently in temporary emergency accommodation.

Source: Irish Times