A forty-eight-year-old man has been refused bail after allegedly subjecting a woman he had only just met to a serious sexual attack in which it is claimed he repeatedly punched her face, pinned her down and bit her when she tried to fight him off.
Roman Ryszard Rurda from Eastvale Avenue, Dungannon is charged with two counts of sexual assault, damaging a mobile phone causing actual bodily harm.
A detective constable told the court the charges could be connected.
He explained staff at Craigavon Area Hospital contacted police after the complainant attended with significant injuries and disclosed she had been attacked by an unknown male.
She told officers was in her home with her friend on January 20 when two more friends arrived along with Rurda whom she didn’t know.
The group socialised for a time although the complainant had very little interaction with Rurda.
She later went to bed and the others remained.
Having fallen asleep she became aware of someone in the bed beside her before realising it was Rurda.
He said he wanted to have sex but she told him to get out and pushed him away.
Rurda however allegedly removed the complainant’s lower clothing, grabbed her by her hair with one hand and punched her repeatedly to the face with the other.
She claims he allegedly then held her down and carried out a violent sexual assault.
The complainant was crying and struggling to see because of the swelling around her eyes from the assault.
She cried out and continued to struggle, at one stage managing to rip the defendant’s shirt.
This led him to allegedly strike her again to the face.
The complainant said she grabbed Rurda’s genitals and continued to “squeeze, scratch rip and do anything she could to get him to stop”.
He “let out a loud noise then bit her right arm and finger to get her to let go”.
A further sexual assault allegedly occurred and when the complainant tried to get up, Rurda prevented this by “grabbing her hair, pinning her down and in the process, striking her head off the headboard”.
The complainant reached for her phone but claims Rurda took it her from her and bent it.
She was in extreme pain throughout and estimated the attack lasted for around an hour.
Having managed to escape she ran to the other people who were still in the house and told them what had occurred.
They confronted Rurda who on his way out of the property allegedly stated the complainant “assaulted herself”.
The complainant sustained severe facial injuries including two black eyes which were swollen closed, bite marks and intimate trauma requiring further treatment.
Meanwhile, Rurda was arrested and during interview contended there was consensual sexual activity and claimed someone else in the house assaulted the complainant.
Marks to his genitals were said to appear consistent with the complainant’s account, however, a medical report is awaited in this respect.
Objecting to bail the detective voiced concerns of potential witness interference and reoffending, pointing out Rurda is currently subject to a suspended sentence, although this is for entirely unrelated matters.
A defence barrister enquired if others in the property at the time have been spoken to by police as it is his understanding they have refused to provide statements.
The detective said he was unaware at this stage and enquiries are at a very early stage, however he did confirm a ripped shirt was recovered from the complainant’s bedroom.
After consideration Deputy District Judge Noel Dunlop refused bail and remanded Rurda in custody to appear again by video-link at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court on February 21.
