Two men accused of threatening to kill a Monaghan-based fitter

By Aoife Nic Ardghail  

Two men have gone on trial for threatening to kill and extorting money from a Monaghan based fitter.

Deividas Sutkevicius (28) of Foxlodge, Rathoath, Co Meath and Arturas Jankus (41) of Cortolvin View, Monaghan, have both pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to demanding €3,500 with menaces and €2,500 with menaces in Monaghan on March 4 and April 4, 2011.

The men, who are from Lithuania, have also pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Marius Zukauskis in Monaghan on the same dates.

Mr Zukauskis told Donal Keane BL, prosecuting, that he had worked as a fitter, but sprayed cars in the evening at a garage between Carrickmacross and Ardee.

He said Mr Sutkevicius came to him and asked him to spray an Audi A6 for an agreed price in 2011. He said when Mr Sutkevicius came to collect the vehicle, he refused to pay because the job was “not good”.

Mr Zutauskis said that Mr Sutkevicius, who was with Mr Jankus, told him: “If you spray cars for us, we will look after you. You won’t have any problems.”

The alleged victim said the accused men left in the car when he told Mr Sutkevicius he didn’t have any problems or need any help. Mr Zutauskis said Mr Sutkevicius then rang him a week later looking to get the same car re-sprayed.

Mr Zutauskis agreed he would do the job once he had established himself at a new garage.

He said the same accused rang about two or three weeks after that to arrange a meeting in Carrickmacross. Mr Zutauskis said he met Mr Sutkevicius and Mr Jankus in the back of a car and was handed a bill for €3,500.

The father-of-one said he was told the bill was to cover the cost of the car being re-sprayed elsewhere.

He said the men told him he had a couple of weeks to pay this money. Mr Zutauskis told Mr Keane that he got a few calls looking for the money and on March 4, 2011 the accused men and two other unidentified men came to the new garage.

Mr Zutauskis explained that he had gone to collect his brother when he got a call from his friend and co-worker about two men at the garage looking to have a Mercedes bumper sprayed.

He said when he arrived four men told him, his brother and his friend to go into the garage “to have a talk”. Mr Zutauskis said “everyone” started demanding the money once the garage doors had come down.

He told Mr Keane that the men said they would give him 15 minutes to get the money or else they would take the cars at the garage. Mr Zutauskis said he had €3,600 cash in his brother’s car and decided to hand this over instead of risking losing the other vehicles.

He said the smaller of the unidentified men grabbed the remaining money out of his brother’s hand once it had been counted. Mr Zutauskis alleged that Mr Sutkevicius then told him he owed him an extra €2,500, as he had hoped to sell the Audi for €5,000 but couldn’t get that price because he had to have the car re-sprayed.

Mr Zutauskis said this accused told him he would collect this money in a month. He described how all four men were threatening him and threatening to break his hands.

He said he was made sign a piece of paper to say he owed Mr Sutkevicius the €2,500. He told Mr Keane he later got a call from the other unidentified male, whom he described as a well built man in a brown leather jacket, asking about the money.

He said this man, whose voice he had recognised from the garage encounter, threatened him and his family.

Mr Zutauskis said this same man called him the day the two accused were to collect the €2,500 to make sure he would have the money and to warn him not to phone gardai.

He said Mr Sutkevicius called him an hour after that to again make sure he had the money and to threaten him about his brother, who had returned to Lithuania out of fear.

He met the accused men alone in the garage in the evening on April 4, 2011.  He said Mr Sutkevicius “went mad again” after he tried explaining that the accused had gotten enough money and all he had to offer him now was €200.

He added that Mr Sutkevicius told him “I’ll see you again” as he was leaving through the door. Mr Zutauskis said gardai arrived to arrest both accused as they tried to leave.

He described how Mr Sutkevicius had handed him a phone to speak to the “big” man during this final meeting. He said he had told this man he had €1,800, before he handed over the €200.

The trial continues before Judge Patrick McCartan and a jury of three women and nine men.