Somalian man sentenced for Wicklow assault
A Somalia national resident in Wicklow who attacked the arthritic father of his ex-partner after kicking-in his front door has been given a two year suspended sentence by Judge Desmond Hogan.
Ally Othman (aged 43) of Lower Dargle Road, Bray assaulted the victim in front of the man’s wife and their grandchildren. He hit him four times causing his face to bleed and smeared the blood all over his face after putting a foot across his chest and throwing him against the stairs.
Othman pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm on January 28, 2007.
Judge Hogan fined Othman €200 to be paid in four months and suspended the sentence for two years on condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour on his release and undergo drug treatment.
Garda Ross O’Donovan told prosecuting counsel, Ms Geraldine Small BL, that the victim’s wife started to get phone calls about 8 pm that night from Othman and they continued throughout the night.
She got the final call just after the couple went to bed when her husband told Othman to stop harassing them or he would call the gardaí.
Two hours later he woke up to hear a loud banging on his door and when he went down to investigate he saw Othman standing outside "looking crazed and frothing at the mouth".
Othman then kicked the door in before he attacked the victim while his wife and grandchildren watched on. He also grabbed her arm while demanding a cigarette and kneed her in the thigh but she managed to get out of the house and call gardaí.
Garda O’Donovan said when he arrived on the scene, a "highly intoxicated" Othman was still in the house. Othman had one previous conviction for theft for which he received the Probation Act in June 2005.
Garda O’Donovan agreed with defence counsel, Ms Marie Torrens BL, that Othman apologised to the family through gardai for his behaviour that night.
He said he was not aware that Othman had since improved his relationship with their daughter and added that he believed it had turned sour just before the couple broke up and remained that way.
Ms Torrens told Judge Hogan that that Othman had obviously taken "something" that day because he was "crazed, mad and frothing at the mouth". Her application for the case to be adjourned to allow for the preparation of a probation report was refused by Judge Hogan.
