Convicted murderer carried out glass bottle attack in Cork city centre

A convicted murderer has confessed to carrying out an attack with a glass bottle on a complete stranger in Cork city on Christmas Day.

Detective Garda Lorna Healy said the injured party was walking home through Cork city centre on Christmas Day 2018 when he was attacked by a man who struck him across the face with a glass bottle.

Det. Garda Healy said it occurred at 3.20am on December 25 2018. The injured party had been walking on St. Patrick’s Street, on his way home to Summerhill North.

The man had been visiting his brother and was about to return home to his own apartment. While passing a convenience shop on St. Patrick’s Street at the junction with Drawbridge Street he was engaged in conversation by an assailant who wanted him to walk down Drawbridge Street.

The injured party was caught by the arm and without warning struck across the face with a glass bottle.

The force of the impact was such that it smashed across his face. The victim managed to get away from the scene and run away through St. Patrick’s Street before attending the Mercy University Hospital, where he had to have his eyes washed out and have seven stitches to a facial wound.

Det. Garda Healy said the accused man, Andrius Augylius of no fixed address, arrived in Ireland from Lithuania in 2016 and had seven previous convictions in Ireland and five in Lithuania.

His Irish convictions were mainly for public order offences, theft and failing to appear in court.

His Lithuania convictions included two counts of robbery and one for pre-meditated murder, for which he was given a sentence of eleven years.

Defence barrister Sinead Behan said the defendant first came to Ireland to work at a meat factory in Drogheda and later came to Cork on the promise of a job in construction with the offer of accommodation.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin wondered at Cork Circuit Criminal Court if anyone could be innocent enough to expect a job in construction came with the offer of accommodation.

Ms Behan said the defendant was anxious to return to Lithuania as soon as possible and that his mother and sister would arrange a ticket for him to fly home immediately.

Judge Ó Donnabháin said he would adjourn the case until May 11 with the accused remanded in custody until then.

“If he comes in here with a ticket for a named date I will see what I will do… If he produces a one-way ticket to Lithuania from Dublin we will arrange to have him released in Dublin,” Judge Ó Donnabháin said.

Andrius Augylius was remanded in custody until May 11.