Serious Assault in Ballymount Park, Dublin 22

The Gardaí at Clondalkin Garda Station are investigating a serious assault on a woman that occurred in broad daylight on Monday the 30th of May 2011.

On that Monday morning a young woman walked into Ballymount Park shortly after 11am by the Newlands Cross Cemetery entrance. She was taking her daily walk through the park. She usually did two circuits of the park passing an area known and “The Castle Ruins”. This area of the park is close to the Luas track and the Kingswood Castle estate.

As she walked around by the Castle Ruins for the first time she noticed a man standing beside some shrubbery close to the pond. She walked towards the pond and past by the man. The woman continued on completing her first loop of the park. She came around the area known as the Castle Ruins a second time at 11.43am. She had just finished talking to a friend on her mobile phone. She noticed the same man standing in the same spot. The man was staring at the woman as she walked on the path. As the woman passed the man he suddenly lunged at her. He threw her to the ground and assaulted her. He placed his hands around her neck and began to choke her. The woman struggled and fought back. Her screams alerted two people in the park who ran towards her and shouted at the man attacking her. The man fled and ran in the direction of the castle ruins. The woman ran to another passer by in the park looking for help.