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The mother of a seven-foot-five-inch (226 cm) Belarusian who died during a drunken fight has said her son was molested his entire life because of his height and died as tragically as he lived.
Elena Moram wrote a statement to the Central Criminal Court that was read at a sentencing hearing on Thursday for Arnoldas Ivanauskas, 33, who was convicted of murder last month for killing her son Dmitry Hrynkevich (24).
Moram said he wanted to be his son’s voice and told the court that Dmitry’s father died when Dmitry was five years old. She said: “I fought for him like a lion. Against illness and social difficulties as a consequence of his unusual height “.
He was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, which caused his limbs to lengthen and, despite suffering continuous pain, blindness and other illnesses, “he showed courage and kindness,” he said.
He did his best to fit in when he came to Ireland when he was 10 years old and became well liked for his humor and generosity. When he was 18 years old, knowing that his diagnosis meant he would not live a long life, he volunteered to be an organ donor. When he died, the organs were donated to him.
Ms Moram added: “Until the last day of his life, he donated money to charity and did good deeds that he never boasted of.” However, his son was, he said, “a phenomenon in the eyes of society because of his height.” He was teased and singled out, he said, adding: “Life in general was disappointing for him. In many ways, his life was as tragic as his death. “
Mr. Hyrnkevich died at Kerry General Hospital on October 2, 2015, two days after being found in a home in Killeen Woods, Tralee, Co Kerry with multiple injuries to his head, face, and neck. Ivanauskas, a native of Lithuania, of The Parklands, Tralee, was charged with murdering Mr. Hrynkevich, but a jury unanimously acquitted him of that charge and found him guilty of murder. In the garda interviews, the defendant said that a second man, who was not in court, attacked Mr. Hrynkevich and that he “joined in”, hitting the deceased at least once on the side of the head.
His attorney Mark Nicholas SC told the court that the jury had found his client guilty of “assault on involuntary manslaughter,” meaning that he did not intend to cause serious injury to the deceased, but rather that he intended to cause something. more than a trivial injury.
The court heard that the victim had previously undergone two major surgeries to correct a heart problem caused by her illness. He had his aorta replaced in a successful operation, but despite this, he was considered to have an increased risk of sudden collapse.
His death was caused by the loss of oxygen to the brain due to a heart attack related to Marfan syndrome, an autopsy concluded. The autopsy, performed by Professor Marie Cassidy, a retired state pathologist, found that “blunt trauma” to the head of the deceased contributed to his death.
Roisin Lacey SC of the prosecution said that the crime is in the range of medium guilt and therefore should carry a sentence of between four and ten years. He said the aggravating factors in the case put him at the higher end of that category.
Mr. Nicholas said that his client had cooperated with Gardai and did not attempt to blame the deceased or “play” the fact that Mr. Hyrenkevich had slapped him three times. He was in full-time employment at the time of the crime and was a fully committed member of society, the attorney said. Since his arrest in 2018, his record has been “excellent,” the attorney said, leading to improved status at Wheatfield Prison.
The court also heard Detective Sergeant James Hurley, who said that Mr. Ivanauskas has previous convictions in Ireland for intoxication in a public place and criminal damages, both dealt with in District Court. In Lithuania he has convictions for theft, theft and destruction or damage to property. Judge Michael McGrath postponed the hearing until October 23 to allow Ms. Lacey to inquire about the details of a new crime committed in Lithuania.
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