
Man attacked cafe worker with allen key when confronted for tearing open bins
Ibrahim Turki Faris Masharqah (53) was asked to stop rooting through the rubbish on a city centre street when he threatened 'I'll kill you' and swung at the man with the key
A man attacked a Dublin cafe worker with an allen key when he was confronted over tearing open bin bags as he looked for cans to recycle.
Ibrahim Turki Faris Masharqah (53) was asked to stop rooting through the rubbish on a city centre street when he threatened 'I'll kill you' and swung at the man with the key.
The victim, whose finger was cut, told a court 'Dublin is dangerous at the moment' and he was still nervous after the assault.
Masharqah, of Citywest Road, Tallaght, had pleaded not guilty to assault and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.
Judge Paula Murphy found him guilty and adjourned the case at Dublin District Court for a restorative justice report.
The incident happened at South Frederick Street on January 15. The victim, Conor Murray, told the court he took his rubbish to the end of the street for collection and the accused ripped them open.
He asked 'can you stop doing that?' and Masharqah replied: 'F**k you, homo, I'll kill you.'
'I pushed him away and he brandished what I thought was a knife and swung it at me,' Mr Murray said.
Masharqah ran off and he followed him to the Molly Malone statue, where security guards apprehended him. Gardaí were called.
Mr Murray noticed that his finger had been cut and there was blood on his shirt. He told the court there had been no recyclables in the rubbish.
Ibrahim Turki Faris Masharqah made threats to kill the man
News in 90 seconds - June 2nd
Masharqah said he was using the allen key to open bags to look for cans and claimed the victim approached him, pushed him and punched him in the face.
'I didn't touch him,' the accused said, and could not explain how the victim was cut. He denied shouting abuse, saying he did not speak English.
Judge Murphy said she did not believe Masharqah's version of events
Mr Murray said he was still nervous and 'looking over my back' since the incident and it was 'not a nice feeling'.
'Obviously Dublin is dangerous at the moment, I get it,' he said, but the assault happened in 'broad daylight'.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Crews 'expendable' in massive cocaine smuggling operation, court hears
A Ukrainian man who spoke no English had serious concerns about the seaworthiness of a boat being used in a €157m cocaine smuggling operation. Gardaí had been watching Vitaliy Lapa, aged 62, and Jamie Harbron, aged 31, since they entered Ireland to embark on a drug-trafficking plot for a major organised crime group. However, they claimed they did not know what they were about to undertake, or the power of the organised crime group who would direct the operation — and leave them for dead — in stormy seas off Wexford. Ukrainian national Lapa, with an address at Rudenka, Repina St, in Berdyansk, and Harbron, aged 31, of South Ave, Billingham in the UK, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply between September 21 and 25, 2023. They are two of eight men who have pleaded guilty to their involvement in a drug smuggling plot in which 2.25 tonnes of cocaine — the largest seizure in the history of the State — was found on the Panamanian-registered MV Matthew, a 190m long, 32m wide bulk cargo ship off the Cork coast. The record €157m haul of drugs seized from the 'mother ship', the MV Matthew in 2023. The 'daughter ship' was intended to be the Castlemore, a trawler purchased in Castletownbere, Co Cork, the court heard. File picture: An Garda Síochána Russia's invasion of Ukraine had pushed Lapa, a retired fishing captain, back out to work at sea to provide for his family. The conflict had imposed great financial pressures on his family, his counsel Colman Cody told the three-judge Special Criminal Court. People with vulnerabilities — most often addiction or financial problems — are often before the courts, he said. Fisherman told he would be paid €5,000 Lapa said he was told he would be paid €5,000, which 'considering the largesse from this enterprise, was a very paltry sum' for the risks of involvement, Mr Cody said. His English had been 'non-existent' when he came to Ireland in 2023 and he waited in hotels in Dublin and Newry for instructions from the organised crime group. He had been hired for his seafaring experience, the court heard. Concerns about Castlemore's seaworthiness However, when he viewed the fishing trawler, the Castlemore, in Castletownbere, West Cork, with a person of interest to gardaí, on September 21, 2023, he said he had concerns about the boat — believing its engine speed and capacity was insufficient, and unable to go above 10 knots. His concerns were ignored and the boat was bought. From the time it set sail, Lapa and Harbron met adversity, the court heard. English man on 'lowest rung' of operation Harbron had suffered addiction issues, the Special Criminal Court heard. He was 'the lowest rung' of the drug smuggling operation, his counsel Michael O'Higgins said. He was the first person to plead guilty and this may have been of value in other pleas forthcoming, Mr O'Higgins said. 'His role was very supine,' he said. He bought his own ferry ticket from Britain to Ireland on his own debit card just two days before departing on the Castlemore. He had no boating experience and claimed not to know what contraband the boat would carry, although he suspected it was drugs. The first time he became aware of its 'gargantuan size' was when he was on the Castlemore, he said. There was a clear 'difference between those pulling the strings and those on the end of the string' in this operation, Mr O'Higgins said. Harbron left school at age 14 with no GCSEs. He is a man without means, with no home or car, Mr O'Higgins said. He developed addiction issues, consuming cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol, and ran up a significant drug debt. His actions on the Castlemore were to pay off €10,000 of a €20,000 drug debt, the court heard. Once the pair hit rough weather off Wexford and subsequently ran aground, Harbron thought he was going to die. 'Notwithstanding the very serious risk to their lives, they were specifically instructed not to contact the Coast Guard,' Mr O'Higgins said. They were then given a hasty cover story by the organised crime gang directing the operation. The gang's treatment of the two men showed how 'expendable' they were, the court heard. The Castlemore was to be the 'daughter ship' to collect drugs from the MV Matthew as the 'mother ship'. 'These idiots were late again' While the MV Matthew and Castlemore were trying to meet off the Irish coast in increasingly stormy weather, growing frustration was shown by the captain on messaging apps with the men crewing the daughter ship, John Berry, prosecuting, said. He complained of how 'these idiots were late again'. He also expressed concern about the worsening weather, saying a drop-off would be impossible in the growing swell. On September 24, 2023, the Castlemore ran aground and its crew was recused by Irish authorities; they were winched off the boat before being arrested. When the MV Matthew heard that SOS call over the radio that night, they devised a plan to put the drugs in a lifeboat with Cumali Ozgen, who the court heard was the 'eyes and ears' of the cartel in Dubai, and lower them to sea, but this never happened. The Panamanian-registered cargo vessel the MV Matthew berthed at Marino Point in Cork Harbour in 2023 after the largest cocaine seizure in the history of the State. File picture: Dan Linehan Captain Soheil Jelveh then called for a medical evacuation, being winched off the ship by the Irish coastguard and taken to hospital — bringing four phones, more than $50,000 in cash, and two suitcases. He was later arrested in hospital. Meanwhile, the ship was trying to escape Irish territorial waters. They wrongly believed they could not be boarded by Irish authorities in international waters and planned to go to Sierra Leone for safety. The MV Matthew repeatedly tried to evade the naval vessel LÉ William Butler Yeats which was in hot pursuit, ignoring its instructions and attempting to burn the drugs aboard despite multiple warning shots. Elite army rangers then abseiled down from a helicopter onto the MV Matthew in dangerous conditions and seized the ship. Six of its crew would later plead guilty to involvement. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both aged 32; Iranians Soheil Jelveh, aged 51, and Saeid Hassani, aged 39; Filipino Harold Estoesta, aged 31, and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, aged 49, all pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on board the MV Mathew between September 24 and 26 of 2023. Ms Justice Melanie Grealy has set sentencing for all eight men on July 4.

The Journal
9 hours ago
- The Journal
Tourist ‘ate' passport biometric data and attacked airport official, court hears
A TOURIST TORE out and devoured the biometric data page of his passport after assaulting a Dublin Airport official verifying his identity, a court was told. Palestinian national Hasan Alshaer, 27, with no stated address, was charged with assaulting a customs official at Terminal 1 and an offence under the Immigration Act for failing to produce a passport or document establishing his identity. He appeared at Dublin District Court today following his arrest at 5pm on Tuesday. Court Garda Sergeant Niall Murphy told Judge John King that the allegation was Mr Alshaer presented to an immigration control officer. 'He tried to run away from her taking his passport with him; when she chased after him, judge, it is alleged he struck at her, causing her to fall, he tore out a page of the travel document he was carrying and then ate the page with the biometric data on it.' The sergeant contended that the accused was a flight risk and objected to his bail. Defence barrister Paddy Flynn said his client had money and could stay in a hotel. Mr Flynn said the accused came to Ireland as a tourist and gardaí had his Palestinian passport. Advertisement The sergeant countered that the passport was 'no use' because it cannot be verified properly now. The defence said the man had a second Greek passport, but the State contended that compounded his problem because gardai could not verify who he was. The defence said Mr Alsher had lived in Germany and Greece for five years. Judge King said, 'There is a serious problem here. He arrives in this country, sees immigration, runs, and then tears a page out of his passport, and this page has his biometric data on it, it is alleged. That is a huge problem for him'. Mr Flynn said he was instructed that the man had a residential permit. However, the judge suggested a fingerprint check with Interpol could assist but noted that it could take some time. Sergeant Murphy said that would not be resolved that day, and it was unlikely that the State would now accept any documentary evidence provided by the accused. He added that he did not present a visa or any authority to enter the country on top of allegedly destroying the travel document he initially presented to customs officers. Mr Alsher, who has yet to enter a plea, listened to the proceedings with the aid of an interpreter and remained silent during the hearing, He postponed his bail application. Judge King remanded him in custody to appear again on Friday.


Sunday World
9 hours ago
- Sunday World
Judge who oversaw Carlow shooter's release on bail wants to ‘set record straight'
'It's embarrassing what's in the papers,' he said. 'Gardaí in their view saw fit to consent to strict bail conditions in lieu of remand in custody'. A judge who oversaw the court sitting when Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald was released on bail on firearms charges has said he wants to 'set the record straight'. Judge Desmond Zaidan today hit out at 'sensational headlines' as well as 'misinformation', saying his powers had ceased once gardaí consented to Mr Fitzgerald being freed from custody. The 22-year-old appeared before Naas District Court on March 4, 2024, after being arrested as part of a garda investigation into the sale of firearms on the Dark Web. Fitzgerald, of Portrush Upper in Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, walked free from court along with his two co-accused after gardaí consented to bail on strict conditions. Evan Fitzgerald News in 90 June 4th On Sunday night he discharged a number of shots in a Carlow shopping centre before taking his own life. No other injuries were reported from the gunfire while a young girl was injured running from the scene. He was due to appear before the court again today for service of the book of evidence and was facing 13 charges of possessing firearms, ammunition and explosive substances. Detective Garda Brian Foran, of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), this afternoon made an application to have the charges against Evan Fitzgerald withdrawn on direction from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Evan Fitzgerald at Naas District Court last year (File photo by Steve Humphreys) During the proceedings, the court was told that Fitzgerald was deceased, with Judge Zaidan describing it as a suicide. The judge then addressed recent media reporting of the incident in Carlow, specifically on the issue of bail when Mr Fitzgerald first appeared before him last year. He said there had been a 'lot of misinformation in the press' and that gardaí had consented to bail. This, the judge said, meant he had no jurisdiction to oppose bail. 'So please, members of the press, please report sensibly', he said, asking journalists present to 'tread very carefully'. Judge Zaidan said bail had been granted with no objection from gardaí on strict bail conditions in lieu of custody. He said 'no judge has the power to overturn that' order from March 4, 2024. He addedsaid both he and his staff had since listened to visual and audio recordings of the court proceedings from that day. 'It's embarrassing what's in the papers,' he said. 'Gardaí in their view saw fit to consent to strict bail conditions in lieu of remand in custody'. The judge also said there were 'some sensational headlines' about objecting to bail. 'The reality is the gardaí consented to bail, my function ceased straight away. I have to set the record straight.' Judge Zaidan said that, while he hadn't been named in media reports, added that everyone knew what judge was sitting in Naas District Court. 'A lot of my friends are ringing me saying 'Des, everyone knows where you are'. Detective Garda Foran told the judge that, while he himself wasn't present in court that day, the issue wasn't in dispute. Judge Zaidan continued: 'I could not go behind that consent because I would be seen to acting outside of my powers. You see why I'm saying this, there's been a lot of headlines about a man on bail, no, at least report it, don't omit certain key things'. He noted that the charges against Evan Fitzgerald were contained in the book of evidence and said that the charges could formally be withdrawn in the circuit court.