Courts / Dublin / Report

Father 'haunted' by images of son's killer 'high-fiving' friends after stabbing

Date
2020-11-16
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dundrum
County
Dublin

Summary

A 17-year-old defendant, who cannot be identified due to his minor status, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years' detention for the manslaughter of 18-year-old Azzam Raguragui. Mr Justice Paul McDermott delivered the sentence after a jury found the defendant not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter in September. The victim died in May 2019 after being stabbed five times during a fight in Finsbury Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14, which allegedly stemmed from a dispute over a stolen bicycle. The judge noted that while the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the fatal wound was inflicted after the victim fell, the defendant brought a knife to the altercation, an aggravating factor. Further aggravating circumstances included the defendant's failure to seek assistance, his pursuit of the victim while he lay on the ground, and his attempt to dispose of the weapon. CCTV footage showed the defendant celebrating with friends shortly after the attack. Mitigating factors included the defendant's early guilty plea offer, cooperation with gardai, and his young age. Emotional statements were read from the victim's parents, Abdul and Hajiba Raguragui, and cousin Younes Talibi. Abdul Raguragui described being haunted by images of the killer 'high-fiving' friends after the stabbing, while his wife expressed grief over the loss of their 'kind' son. The matter was concluded with the imposition of the custodial sentence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Father 'haunted' by images of son's killer 'high-fiving' friends after stabbing. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Why: " The 17-year-old defendant, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by a jury in September. CNI source report

Case subjects

Abdul Raguragui

Respondent

Places mentioned

Address Area
  • Finsbury Park
Secondary Mention
Incident
  • Finsbury Park

Topics

Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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