Courts / Dublin / Report

Man who spent 16 years in jail for murdering infant son is found not guilty by reason of insanity

Summary

In a retrial held at the Central Criminal Court, Yusif Ali Abdi, aged 46, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of his 20‑month‑old son, Nathan Baraka Andrew Ali, who died on 17 April 2001. The original 2003 trial had convicted Abdi of murder after a jury rejected his insanity defence. In 2013 he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, a fact that led the Court of Appeal to quash the conviction earlier this year. During the four‑day retrial, psychiatrist Dr Damian Mohan testified that Abdi had shown early signs of the disorder at the time of the offence and that he was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions. The jury deliberated 17 minutes and returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Judge Alexander Owens ordered Abdi to be committed to the Central Mental Hospital and to appear before the court again next Friday.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who spent 16 years in jail for murdering infant son is found not guilty by reason of insanity. Charges or matters: murdering 20-month-old Nathan Baraka Andrew Ali at The Elms, College Road, Clane, Co Kildare on April 17, 2001. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• April 17, 2001 Hearing Or Sentence
• August 1999 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 1998 Hearing Or Sentence
• January 1999 Other
• August 30 Incident
• November 1999 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2019-12-13 Publication

Why: Ms Bailey said she realised in January 1999 that she was pregnant and they got married in May of that year in order to give Mr Abdi legal status in Ireland so he would not be deported. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report