Horror attack that left pal Josip dead
Friend badly hurt in assault which killed 31-year-old tells of anguish
A PAL of a Croatian man who was beaten to death by thugs has opened up about the horror night saying the attack was “unexpected”.
David Druzinec, 28, from Krapina, and his close friend Josip Strok were set upon in the Grange View Way area in Clondalkin, Dublin, shortly after 10pm on Saturday, March 30.
Josip, 31, was fatally injured in the savage attack and died four days later on Wednesday, April 3, while David was left unconscious and suffered facial injuries.
Now David has opened up about the horror attack on him and Josip whom he said was like his brother.
He said he didn’t witness the attack because he lost consciousness following the beating and only woke up in hospital where he was told Josip did not survive.
On the night the pals met up to spend Easter together and had food and bought a couple of beers in an off-licence
heading back to David’s apartment in Clondalkin.
David told Telegram newspaper in Croatia when they left the shop they were both talking in their native language.
He said a gang started “throwing insults and shouted at us ‘You speak English, you are in Ireland, you are not at home, you have no respect for our country. This is Ireland...’ and things like that.”
Then David said he told Josip to get out of the way, “because he knows how things work in Dublin”. They boarded a bus and headed towards David’s apartment unaware someone was following them in a car.
While they were walking towards the flat, 15 minutes away, the thugs who were throwing things at them earlier attacked them from behind.
David said the attack was unexpected, because they neither saw nor heard it. He added: “They hit me first with something, I don’t know if it was a bar or a bat, I asked the police the details they saw on the video, which they allegedly have. Basibefore cally, I fell when they started on Josip. After some time, I managed to get up and wanted to help him, but they started beating me again, even harder.”
He does not know how long he lay on the ground, nor who called the ambulance and gardai, nor how long it took for them to arrive.
He added: “We are ordinary boys from Zagorje who here and there like to drink beer and wine, and we were never interested in drugs.”
Gardai continue to investigate the fatal attack on Josip and the attack on David. So far no arrests have been made.
Officers are urging passengers who travelled on the No13 Dublin Bus from Clondalkin on March 30 between 9pm and 10pm to come forward.
Additionally, cops are also seeking information from anyone who was in the area of the attack to get in touch with Clondalkin Garda Station at 01666 7600.