A man was convicted in his absence of repeatedly assaulting his then girlfriend at Galway District Court this week, including attacking her when she broke up with him.
Mazharul Choudhury (20) did not show up for his hearing at Galway District Court, but as the other witnesses had arrived the case proceeded in his absence.
He was convicted of two counts of assault, and one of assault causing harm, for attacking his former girlfriend in October and December of last year.
The woman who was attacked told the court that she was depressed and traumatised for months after the attacks. “I’m still not over the trauma today. I still get dreams at night of him abusing me,” she added.
The two assault charges took place on October 12 on the Newcastle Road, and St. Mary’s Road in Galway City. The more serious assault causing harm, where the victim suffered a swollen, black eye, happened at Choudhury’s address of 8 Aras na Trá, Salthill.
In the early hours of October 12, around 2am, she and Choudhury had been arguing when he began violently “squeezing my throat, almost choking me” she told the court.
When she went out to her car, he came out of the house drinking bleach, and spitting it on her car, she said.
She then tried to call a taxi, but he snatched her phone away from her. The young woman then went to walk home, but he followed her and started choking her again.
It only stopped when a man in a nearby parked car got out, causing Choudhury to flee. But he attacked her again outside her student accommodation when she got home before she was able to get away through the turnstile.
The second assault happened on December 22 at Choudhury’s apartment, after she had told him that she wanted to break up with him.
He snatched her phone out of her hand and hit her in the face during an argument, knocking her to the ground. She said that he then got a knife from the kitchen and tried to hurt himself.
Paramedics took her to hospital after she told him to call an ambulance.
The court heard that when Gardaà questioned Choudhury later, he said that he couldn’t remember the specifics, but that he knows he hurt her, and accepted the statement she had given to GardaÃ.
Defence solicitor Olivia Traynor informed the court that she had repeatedly tried to reach her client, and couldn’t cross-examine the injured party without instructions.
Judge Mary Fahy convicted Choudhury of the two assaults, and issued a bench warrant for him to be brought in for sentencing.
