A Bulgarian man accused of harassing a married Dublin woman has denied the allegations and told the jury she used him for sexual pleasure.
Vencislav Venev (39), a waiter, told the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday that the woman helped him for five years. He had not realised "the grounds on which she was giving me this help" had been him giving her sexual pleasure.
Mr Venev has pleaded not guilty to harassing Mary Gilhooley (48), Cannonbrook Park, Lucan, via telephone and by other means between May 1st, 2004, and July 14th, 2004.
Mr Venev said during cross-examination by Lisa Dempsey, prosecuting, that neither Ms Gilhooley's husband nor her son had given evidence on her behalf "and her dog has not come to court to give evidence either". Following loud laughter, Mr Venev agreed that the trial was "not a laughing matter".
He had said earlier that Ms Gilhooley had called a temporary halt to their sexual relationship in about April 2004, a month before he is alleged to have begun harassing her. He denied harassment and said Ms Gilhooley never told him to stop calling her, even though she suggested a brief respite in their sexual relations.
He agreed that he might have "disturbed her at times" by calling her at work but denied he harassed her. He said he called her to discuss his problems, as she called him to discuss hers.
Ms Gilhooley was recalled to the witness box yesterday, after Mr Venev claimed on Wednesday that he could tell the jury about tattoos she had that he would not have known of unless they had had an intimate relationship.
Ms Gilhooley denied she had tattoos other than one on her left shoulder of a rose with a butterfly on it. This would be visible under a white T-shirt, she said.
Mr Venev had given a written description, which was sealed in an envelope, of the alleged tattoos and significant marks, to his solicitor yesterday.
Counsel for Mr Venev, Seán Guerin, opened the envelope and read: "Tattoo, back of right shoulder, rose red and green." He also wrote of a mole under the left-hand side of Ms Gilhooley's ribs, and "a cyst or bump about the size of one cent coin" at the bottom of her tailbone.
Ms Gilhooley said the tattoo was on her left shoulder and denied she had a mole where Mr Venev claimed she had. She denied the existence of a cyst.