Girlfriend stands by man accused of a brutal sex attack on woman

The girlfriend of a man accused of a brutal sex attack on a woman gave evidence in his defence yesterday.

Odilija Merbachiate, 20, flew from her home country of Lithuania, to speak on behalf of 19-year-old Paulius Troninas.

He denies sexually assaulting and wounding a 31-year-old woman in a Loughborough alleyway.

Speaking through an interpreter, Ms Merbachiate told jurors at Nottingham Crown Court she had stuck with Troninas despite being aware of the serious charges he has faced since the attack, on April 18 last year.

She said she had been to visit him once since was charged and kept in touch by e-mail and letters while he was in jail awaiting trial.

She said: "I could not find anyone so kind, so polite and so nice for me, even if I looked for a very long time."

The court had heard Troninas, also a Lithuanian, was drunk when police arrested him, covered in the victim's blood, 100 yards from where the attack happened.

The prosecution told the jury that Troninas, of Paget Street, Loughborough, had been out drinking before the attack and had been ejected from the town's Rain nightclub for pestering women on the dance floor.

Defence barrister Benjamin Squirrell asked Ms Merbachiate, a magazine advertising executive, if Troninas was someone who became aggressive when drunk. She said he was not and added: "He is always calm, quiet and reserved."

The court had previously heard that Troninas had met the victim, who he did not know, outside a pub at 3.30am and offered to walk her home.

Prosecutors say Troninas then attacked her, leaving her with a fractured skull, brain damage and serious internal injuries and that he fled the scene when police arrived after a nearby resident heard the assault taking place and called 999.

The defendant told the court he parted company with the woman at the end of the alleyway and was walking away when he heard a scream, so he went back.

Troninas said he fell on top of the unconscious and badly-injured victim in the darkness and became covered in her blood while trying to put her in the recovery position.

He said when police arrived at the scene and shouted at him he ran away because he thought they might be her attacker returning.

He said: "When I was running I heard 'Police. Stop'. I didn't know what to do because anyone can shout 'Police. Stop'."

Andrew Easteal, prosecuting, said: "The issue could hardly be more stark. A good Samaritan or a brutal assailant? That's the choice."

However, Mr Squirrell added: "There is no evidence as to what happened in that alleyway.

"There's no reliable eye witness. There's no video footage so, importantly, there's nothing to contradict what the defendant said."

The case continues.

Sheffield United Michael Ballack Human rights St Lucia New Orleans Private equity