Courts / Dublin / Report

Life for man who murdered his flatmate over €4 bill

Date
2014-03-27
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

A 42‑year‑old Dutch man, Jacky Lumi, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his flatmate, Kamal El Habsati, in a Dublin apartment after a dispute over a €4 internet bill. Lumi stabbed El Habsati 21 times, leaving a knife in his heart, and fled across Europe before surrendering in Rome. He had previously complained that El Habsati was slow to pay bills, did not clean, and cooked at night. Lumi had also threatened to kill him if he stayed. During the trial, Lumi pleaded not guilty, seeking a manslaughter verdict on the basis of provocation, citing a brief argument and his own mental health diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. The Central Criminal Court found him guilty of murder by a 11‑to‑one majority, and Judge Patrick McCarthy imposed a mandatory life sentence. The case ended with Lumi acknowledging his guilt and expressing a desire for the death penalty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Life for man who murdered his flatmate over €4 bill. Charges or matters: murdering his flatmate on December 1st 2012 at Linnbhla, Santry Cross in Ballymun. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Why: A colleague testified that Lumi was not happy living with the deceased and had said he should have known better than to live with a Muslim because he had experiences with them before. CNI source report

Case subjects

Jacky Lumi

Defendant

Charges: murdering his flatmate on December 1st 2012 at Linnbhla, Santry Cross in Ballymun (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Outcome: Lumi nodded as Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed the mandatory life sentence on him.

Places mentioned

Secondary Mention
Court Venue
  • The Central Criminal Court

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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