Lithuanian national Virginijus Bagdonas disappeared during his Central Criminal Court trial. The jury convicted him without him present. Six years later he was located in England, returned to Ireland and received twelve years with the final four suspended.
The attack
Court reporting records that on 11 March 2006 the victim accompanied Bagdonas to a party in Cavan after weeks of harassing calls and an offer of an apology. He drove her to Lough Ramor, threatened to kill her and raped her in his car. He then brought her to his Oldcastle home and forced her to undress and get into bed. She escaped when he fell asleep and encountered a Garda.
He disappeared during the trial
Bagdonas stopped attending the 2007 trial. Because the complainant had completed her evidence and was near the end of cross-examination, the judge ruled that stopping would be unfair to her. A unanimous jury convicted Bagdonas of rape, false imprisonment and threatening to kill. A bench warrant issued.
Located in England
Authorities located him in England in 2013. The Irish Times reported that a European Arrest Warrant was obtained, but that Bagdonas agreed to return voluntarily. He was arrested at Dublin Airport and remanded for sentence.
Timeline
- 11 March 2006: Rape, false imprisonment and threat-to-kill offences.
- November 2007: Bagdonas stopped attending his trial.
- 5 December 2007: Convicted in his absence; bench warrant issued.
- December 2013: Returned from England and arrested at Dublin Airport.
- 17 February 2014: Twelve years imposed, final four suspended.
Cost benchmark
Eight immediate years at the Irish Prison Service 2024 average staffed-space cost produces a nominal gross benchmark of €792,576. This is not an offender-specific invoice and excludes policing, prosecution, courts, legal aid, EAW work, victim services and supervision.
What remains unknown
No reliable source located confirms his release date, current location, removal, deportation or later offending. A same-name business record in Lithuania is not attributed to him.