Man jailed after attacking partner on Letterkenny court day for previous assault

A man with 35 previous convictions has been jailed after violently assaulting a woman - including an attack carried out while he was on trial for earlier offences against the same victim. 

Damian Zygmunt appeared before Judge John Aylmer at Letterkenny Circuit Court, where he pleaded guilty to assaults causing harm, criminal damage and a further assault on Klaudia Bladek on the day a jury had been empanelled to hear his case.

Zygmunt was jailed for two years and 10 months after the court heard disturbing details, which Judge Aylmer described “the most violent”. The judge remarked that Zygmunt was “very fortunate” not to be facing a more serious charge in relation to the incident on the day he was due to stand trial.

Zygmunt, a 33-year-old with an address at Cashel Park, Letterkenny has 35 previous convictions, including nine for assault, seven for the misuse of drugs, three for incidents of criminal damage, two for theft, nine for public order offences and one for an escape from lawful custody.

Garda PJ Folan told Ms Fiona Crawford BL, barrister for the State, that he met Ms Bladek, who was “highly distressed” when she called to the public office at Ballybofey Garda Station on March 20, 2022.

Ms Bladek outlined that her friend brought her to an apartment where Zygmunt was living in Letterkenny. She said Zygmunt planned to travel to Dublin and started looking for clothes. She started to separate his clean and dirty clothes when Zygmunt grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the floor with the top of her hair. 

Zygmunt slapped her across the face and punched her on the head. The accused man later locked a door and was charged with the false imprisonment of Ms Bladek.

Later, while Ms Bladek was putting dirty linen into a washing machine, Zygmunt told her: “See, you can do it” and apologised for the incident in the bedroom.

Ms Bladek returned to an apartment at Mark House in Stranorlar and had Zygmunt’s dog with her. Zygmunt contacted her and asked her to order food for him and he was looking for a phone charger. When he arrived and she did not have a charge to fit his phone, Zygmunt began hitting her on the head and punching her on the body and legs.

The court heard how Zygmunt sent Ms Bladek to the shop to get her a charger, but the shop was closed. At around 8am, she left the apartment and went to her mother’s home before going to the Garda Station.

A medical report was opened to the court and outlined a series of bruises to Ms Bladek’s face, arms and body. A doctor said the injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma caused by a fist.

Zygmunt was arrested and detained, but “nothing of evidential value” came from an interview, the court was told.

Just a few days prior to the incidents in March 2022, Zygmunt was handed a suspended sentence at Sligo Circuit Court. 

Barrister Mr Peter Nolan BL. Photo: Joe Boland (North West Newspix)

Zygmunt, who was also accused of damaging a television belonging to Ms Bladek, denied the charges against him and in May of this year a jury was empanelled at Letterkenny Circuit Court.

After leaving Letterkenny Courthouse on the trial day, May 27, 2025, Ms Bladek went to Zygmunt’s mother’s home to collect a child. 

However, Zygmunt arrived at the property and began drinking vodka. He told Ms Bladek that he would kill her. 

Gardai heard how Zygmunt started shouting at her and hit her across the face with an open hand, knocking her to the ground. After she got back up, he again threw her to the floor.

The woman tried to run away, but Zygmunt caught up with her in the hallway and punched her on the face with his fist. He threatened to “break your teeth” before other people tried to intervene.

While Ms Bladek did flee the house, Zygmunt grabbed her in the driveway and dragged her back inside. 

The court was told that Zygmunt picked the woman up just inside the front door and hit her off the ceiling a couple of times. He also punched her to the sides and the body at the time.

Gardai arrived on the scene and Zygmunt was arrested, placed in a Garda patrol van and taken into custody. Ms Bladek suffered injuries to her neck, head and face.

The following day, Zygmunt pleaded guilty to offences at Letterkenny Circuit Court and the jury was discharged. Zygmunt pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Ms Bladek in March 2022 and to criminal damage of her television while he also pleaded guilty to assaulting her on May 27, 2025.

Garda Folan confirmed that the victim did not wish to make a victim impact statement.

Zygmunt’s barrister Mr Peter Nolan BL, instructed by solicitor Mr Rory O’Brien, said his client was drinking heavily and his recollection of events was limited.

Mr Nolan said that Zygmunt “often deflected blame and responsibility” and also that he “struggles to take advice and guidance”.

The court heard that Zygmunt came to Ireland at the age of 12 with his family. He was working in a meat factory and hopes to return to that line of work.

Zygmunt admitted using drugs including cannabis, cocaine and speed, while he also accepted that he had a prolonged use of steroids and alcohol, which had a negative effect on his mental health.

Zygmunt has been in custody since May 27 and has been engaging in AA meetings while he has applied to attend anger management. Zygmunt has also completed a restorative justice course in prison.

In a written letter, which was read out in court, Zygmunt apologised saying he had not only offended an innocent person “but also insulted the law itself”.

He said he is “at a point in my life where I must make change” and added: “I apologise for the wrongdoing.”

Mr Nolan said his client “has realised that his life can’t go on as it is”.  

Mr Nolan told Judge Aylmer that while the probation report on Zygmunt “is not the greatest I have ever read”, his client has shown progress. 

Asking for light at the end of the tunnel, Mr Nolan added: “There does seem to be some kind of insight and a realisation that this can’t go on. He is trying his best in the limited confines and resources of the Irish Prison Service. The real life outside will be where the acid test will be.”

Judge Aylmer said that the fact Zygmunt was in an intimate relationship with the victim, his previous offending of a violent nature and the severity of the violence to his partner meant that a headline sentence of four years imprisonment was appropriate on the assault causing harm charge and 18 months in prison would be a starting point for the criminal damage matter.

Judge Aylmer told Zygmunt he was “very fortunate” to be dealing with assault and not an assault-causing-harm charge in relation to the incident on May 27, which he said merited a starting point of the maximum for such a charge, six months in prison.

Judge John Aylmer. Photo: Joe Boland (North West Newspix)

This incident was in circumstances where it occurred in the course of a trial and he had “set upon Ms Bladek in the most violent way”.

Judge Aylmer said that the fact that Zygmunt has been struggling with alcohol addiction since he was 13 provided no mitigation and no excuse.

“The most impressive thing that can be said is that you are using your time well and you do appear to be embarking on a programme of self-rehabilitation,” Judge Aylmer said, noting that he was anxious to encourage those efforts. 

Zygmunt was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for assault causing harm while a 16-month sentence was imposed for the criminal damage matter. These charges are to run concurrently.

Zygmunt was also sentenced to four months in prison in a consecutive sentence for the most recent assault.

The last eight months of the three-and-a-half-year sentence and the entirety of the four-month sentence were suspended upon Zygmunt entering a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for 12 months after his release and to abstain completely from alcohol and unprescribed drugs. Zygmunt will also be placed under the supervision of the Probation Service and must comply with all directions.

The sentences were backdated to when Zygmunt entered custody in May.