Saturday, July 3, 2010

Somali man is victim and convict on same day

A Somali native who is due €5,000 compensation for being a gun crime victim will also spend 11 months in jail for glassing a Dublin man in the face during a nightclub fight.

Muhyadine Abdillahi (aged 23) of Blackhall Square, North Brunswick Street, admitted glassing Mr Dennis Carney in the face but insisted it was self-defence and took a trial on the matter at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last month.

He was found guilty of assaulting Mr Carney at Citi Bar, Dame Street in the early hours of December 13, 2008.

He has 11 previous convictions for public order offences and failing to comply with gardaí.

Judge Martin Nolan commented that Abdillahi’s troubled refugee background may somewhat explain his “built-in arrogance”, his difficulty with authority and his “excitable” nature.

He backdated the sentence to February and ordered another offender, Daniel Hendrick (aged 21), to pay Abdillahi €5,000 compensation by the end of the year for pulling a pellet gun on him in an earlier incident.

Hendrick (21) of Dolphin House, Rialto pleaded guilty to possessing and producing an unloaded pellet gun outside a chipper near The Temple Bar Pub on August 14, 2008. He has 22 previous convictions for mainly threatening and abusive behaviour.

Garda Pat Gorman revealed that Abdillahi had left friends inside the chipper to have a smoke and urinate down a nearby lane when Hendricks approached with other youths and the parties began trading insults.

The garda told Mr Cormac Quinn BL, prosecuting, that Abdillahi challenged Hendrick, saying: “I don’t know who you are but if you want to fight, we can fight man to man.”

Hendrick produced the gun, held it to Abdillahi’s head, then backed away and ran up the street with his victim in pursuit.

Abdillahi blocked Hendrick’s escape in a cab by standing in front of the bonnet and alerted passing gardai as the gunman jumped out and ran off towards Dublin Castle.

Gda Gorman said Hendrick later apologised for his actions in custody but Abdillahi failed to provide a victim impact statement and didn’t co-operated further with gardai.

Judge Nolan commented that unfortunately for Hendrick, his victim was of such “sound temperament” he made him run away.

He told gardai to pass the €5,000 on to Abdillahi once collected from Hendrick, who is due to start paid employment next week.

Garda Neill Carbury told Ms Anne Rowland BL, prosecuting, that Abdillahi had been attacked by injured party Mr Carney and a friend after another of their friends was thrown out of Citi Bar on December 13, 2008.

Abdillahi then smashed his glass bottle in Mr Carney’s face, causing several deep lacerations and permanent scarring.

Gda Carbury with Mr Niall Nolan BL, defending, that the other man involved in attacking his client (Abdillahi) will soon be prosecuted for his role.

Mr Nolan submitted to the judge that his client received refugee status in Ireland as a teenager in 2004 after his parents and siblings had perished in the war at home.

He said Abdillahi experienced racial discrimination in an Ethiopian refugee camp from resident Ethiopians prior to him fleeing to Ireland.

Judge Nolan said he hoped the €5,000 would help Abdillahi get on with his life when he comes out of jail.
Source: IrishExaminer

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