Courts / Dublin / Report

'Sheer terror': 'Miracle' doctor wasn't killed during home invasion by violent burglar with 129 previous convictions

Summary

A doctor, Waleed Mustafa, described the home invasion by Dean Hayes, 37, as a "miracle" he wasn't killed. Hayes, with 129 previous convictions, broke into Mustafa's home and stabbed him multiple times. Mustafa, who is originally from Sudan and works as a doctor in University Hospital Limerick, was attacked in his bedroom while watching YouTube. Hayes was armed with a knife and told Mustafa, "you ripped someone," before attacking him. Mustafa managed to escape through the back door but was stabbed in the head and abdomen. The victim described feeling "sheer terror" and said he was "extremely lucky" to be alive. Hayes was arrested the following day and had a history of burglary, theft, and drug-related offences. The court heard that Hayes had previously burgled the victim's neighbour's house. Mustafa has since experienced anxiety, hypertension, and sleep disturbances due to the attack.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Sheer terror': 'Miracle' doctor wasn't killed during home invasion by violent burglar with 129 previous convictions. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• June 20, 2024 Incident
• June 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
• June 20 Other
• June 21, 2024 Incident
• February 3 Adjournment
• 2026-01-26 Publication

Places mentioned

Topics

Burglary Drugs Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report