Thursday 5 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 30139Assault causing harm · Co. Cork · 1 Jan 2020

Man sentenced for assault causing harm in Castletownbere

Marius Rucinskas, 42, a man, assaulted his wife Renata Rucinskeine over two to three hours on 1 January 2020 at their home in Main Street, Castletownbere, County Cork, kicking and punching her, tearing clumps of hair from her head, and trying to suffocate her. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and was remanded in custody for over a year before being released in February 2021. On 9 September 2021, Judge Sean Ó Donnabháin at Cork Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to 18 months suspended for three years, with conditions including no contact with the victim and not residing in or around Castletownbere.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced9 Sep
    2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Marius Rucinskas assaulted his wife Renata Rucinskeine over two to three hours by kicking and punching her in the kitchen, tearing clumps of hair from her head, pulling off her eyelash extensions, and trying to suffocate her by pushing her head into the bed.
  • He smashed phones, laptops and the TV in the house and demanded €2,000 from his wife the next day, saying he would stay out of her life.
Where
The incident occurred at the couple's home in Main Street, Castletownbere, County Cork.
When
The assault took place on 1 January 2020.
Cause
A dispute arose after friends left, with Rucinskas claiming his wife did not fully appreciate his Christmas gifts, and he had been drinking from lunchtime.
Investigation
Gardaí at Bantry received a distress phone call shortly after 5.15am on 1 January.
Charges
Marius Rucinskas pleaded guilty to assault causing harm.
In court
The case was heard at Cork Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Sean Ó Donnabháin.
Sentence
He was sentenced to 18 months suspended for three years, with conditions including not residing in or around Castletownbere, no contact with the victim, and keeping the peace and being of good behaviour.
Other details
  • He had a 15-year sentence imposed in 2000 for pre-meditated murder in Lithuania and moved to Ireland in 2016.
  • He was remanded in custody for over a year before being released in February 2021.
  • He works at a fish factory in Cork city and is living with a friend there.
35 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatMarius Rucinskas assaulted his wife by kicking and punching her in the kitchen (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatHe tore clumps of hair from his wife's head and pulled off her eyelash extensions (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatThe assault lasted two to three hours during which he assaulted his wife several times (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatHe smashed a number of phones, laptops and the TV in the house (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatHe demanded €2,000 from his wife the next day, saying he would stay out of her life (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatHalf of the woman's eyelash extensions on her left eye had been pulled out (corkbeo.ie, irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHer hair was falling out in clumps when gardai spoke to her (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatThe couple had friends over for New Year festivities and drank beer and Jameson whiskey. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatOver two to three hours Rucinskas assaulted his wife several times, kicking and punching her in the kitchen. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHe hit his wife's head off a table and pulled her onto the bed upstairs. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHe twisted her head and pushed it into the bed, suffocating her until her face became red. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHe demanded money from his wife after she stopped moving. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe defendant had smashed a number of phones, laptops and the TV in the house. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatHe told his wife that if he got €2,000 from her the next day he would stay out of her life. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatWhen gardaí arrived, Renata was in a distressed state with hair falling out in clumps. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe incident occurred at their home in Main Street, Castletownbere, County Cork (corkbeo.ie)
  • whereThe assault occurred at the couple's home in Main Street, Castletownbere, Co Cork. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe assault took place on 1 January 2020 (corkbeo.ie, irishmirror.ie)
  • causeRucinskas had been drinking from lunchtime on the day of the offence (corkbeo.ie, irishmirror.ie)
  • causeA dispute arose over his wife not fully appreciating Christmas gifts he had purchased (corkbeo.ie)
  • causeA dispute arose after friends left, with Rucinskas claiming his wife did not fully appreciate his Christmas gifts. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationGardaí at Bantry received a distress phone call shortly after 5.15am on 1 January (corkbeo.ie, irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeHe pleaded guilty to the charge of assault causing harm (corkbeo.ie)
  • chargeMarius Rucinskas pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to his wife Renata Rucinskeine. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceHe was sentenced to 18 months suspended for three years (corkbeo.ie)
  • sentenceThe condition was that he not ordinarily reside in or around Castletownbere (corkbeo.ie)
  • sentenceHe was told not to have contact with the victim and to keep the peace and be of good behaviour (corkbeo.ie)
  • sentenceJudge Sean Ó Donnabháin imposed an 18-month sentence suspended for three years. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherHe had a 15-year sentence imposed in 2000 for pre-meditated murder in Lithuania (corkbeo.ie)
  • otherHe moved to Ireland in 2016, about 12 months after completing his 15-year prison term for murder in Lithuania (corkbeo.ie, irishmirror.ie)
  • otherHe was previously remanded in custody for over a year in relation to the incident (corkbeo.ie)
  • otherHe works at a fish factory in Cork city (corkbeo.ie)
  • otherRucinskas had a 15-year sentence imposed in 2000 for pre-meditated murder in Lithuania. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherHe was previously remanded in custody for over a year in relation to the incident before being released in February 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherHe works at a fish factory in Cork city and is presently living with a friend there. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 9 Sep2021
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, its first report
    Convicted murderer who beat and tried to suffocate wife avoids jail

    Sentencing hearing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court; details of the assault, the defendant's prior murder conviction in Lithuania, and the suspended sentence with conditions imposed by Judge Sean Ó Donnabháin.

    convicted, Marius Rucinskas, 42, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Marius Rucinskasvictim, Renata Rucinskeine, female, non-irish (judged from name)Renata Rucinskeine
  2. 9 Sep2021
    Sentencedcorkbeo.ie, first report
    Convicted murderer who tried to suffocate wife in West Cork home avoids jail

    Sentencing report: Judge Sean Ó Donnabháin imposed an 18-month suspended sentence with conditions including not residing in or around Castletownbere and no contact with the victim. The court heard detailed testimony from Garda Laura O'Sullivan about the two-to-three-hour assault, and noted the defendant's prior 15-year murder conviction in Lithuania.

    convicted, Marius Rucinskas, 42, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Marius Rucinskasvictim, Renata Rucinskeine, female, non-irish (judged from name)Renata Rucinskeine