A TRAINEE doctor beat up and injured a fellow medical student who he thought was “the woman of his dreams” when they formed a brief relationship, a court has heard.

Rudrumun Gopal (21), a student at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), twice attacked his girlfriend of four months, leaving her with bruises and marks “consistent with being punched, kicked, bitten and grabbed”.

He was left without a criminal record at Dublin District Court, when he admitted two serious assault charges and agreed to make a €10,000 charity donation.

The accused is now hospital-based in his course. Disciplinary proceedings at the RCSI had been stayed pending the outcome of the court case, but the accused's future medical career was in jeopardy, his defence barrister said. The range of penalties was anything up to and including suspension and expulsion.

The court heard the Mauritian national, from a “family of high achievers”, had just moved to Ireland, had no experience with women and the victim was his first ever girlfriend.

Judge Hugh O'Donnell struck the charge out, after hearing Gopal could be disciplined separately by the RCSI, remarking that he did not think the accused should be expelled.

Gopal, of Amberley House, Lower Gardiner Street, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm to the woman at Millen House, Mercer Street, on March 29 and April 21, 2012.

Detective Garda Chris Fitzgerald told the court that the victim was physically assaulted on the two dates by the accused. It was an abusive relationship and ended shortly after the incidents happened.

A victim impact statement and medical report were handed in to court. The accused had no previous convictions.

Defence barrister Justin McQuade said the accused and the victim, who was of Indian extraction but from California, had struck up the relationship in January 2012, considering themselves boyfriend and girlfriend.

Both were “very young” and living far from home, Mr McQuade said.

“(Gopal) had difficulties and frustrations associated with relationships and did what he did, which is inexcusable,” Mr McQuade said.

“He was utterly infatuated with this young lady, he thought he had met the woman of his dreams, the sort of young lady he would like to spend the rest of his life with.”

He became “slightly controlling and his frustrations spilled out”.

When Gopal “came to his senses”, he realised what he had done was wrong and wrote a letter of apology to the victim.

The judge ordered €5,000 to be contributed to both the Simon Community and Women's Aid.

He struck the case out and said the money had to be paid by the end of the week.

Online Editors