You may have seen the name Kadima Mbuye in the headlines this morning, and if you have a good memory you might even remember seeing that name in the news in 2021, and 2019 as well.
Asylum seeker Mbuye – who hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo – has just been jailed after he was caught masturbating in front of a bedridden woman in University Hospital Limerick.
Mbuye is 53 years old and has been in Ireland since circa 2014. During that time he has amassed nine convictions, seven of which are for indecent exposure of his genitals and public masturbation.
You may be wondering how Mbyue managed to stay in Ireland long enough to earn himself such an extensive criminal record.
Mbuye first came to public attention in 2019 after he claimed that exposing himself at a direct provision centre happened because the staff at the centre had surreptitiously slipped “sex tablets” into his food. At the time of this claim, he had already amassed several earlier convictions for indecent exposure.
He was 49-years-old at the time of the 2019 incident and failed to make an appearance when he was summoned to Kilmallock court before Judge Marian O’Leary.
Limerick Leader reported that his solicitor at the time, Con Barry – who reportedly made efforts to come off record – claimed that his client was a political refugee from the Congo.
Mbuye did not show up to the beginning of the hearing that day to face two counts of exposing his genitals contrary to Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 in Mount Trenchard, Foynes.
When the sitting judge asked why Mbuye was missing from the court, inspector Padraig Sutton explained that a taxi had been provided for him at the taxpayer’s expense, but that he had refused to take it
When Judge O’Leary asked, “Why”, Inspector Sutton answered simply, “I don’t know”.
Solicitor Barry said his client “doesn’t trust the State” and that he “thought he would be better off coming by bus.”
The manager of the direct provision centre Mbuye was staying in at the time, Raja Anjum, said he had seen CCTV footage of Mbuye “flashing his penis”
“There were a lot of other occasions. A lot of residents and a bus driver complained to me that he was flashing his penis.” Anjum told the court.
When Mbuye’s claim that “sex tablets” were put in his food at the centre was put to Anjum, he replied that this was not possible as everyone there – including himself – ate the same food.
The next witness, a female employee of the asylum centre said that while she was cleaning the kitchen Mbuye had exposed his genitals.
“In my opinion he is sick. He always takes his penis out and says, ‘How’s your people?’,” she said.
Arriving at the court and after Judge O’Leary had viewed CCTV footage of one of the incidents Mbuye continued to insist that he had been drugged repeatedly saying, “They put sex tablets in my food,”.
On this occasion judge O’Leary ruled that he enter into a probation bond for 12 months on strict condition that he did not expose his penis in public again. He was not imprisoned.
Mbuye made headlines again in 2021 when he was accused of threatening staff at the Travelodge Hotel in Ballymun, Dublin with a knife.
At the time the Irish Examiner reported that Mbuye had been living at the hotel for some time and was charged with “possessing a sharp knife as an offensive weapon.”
“Gardai arrived and were told the accused produced a knife at hotel workers before making threats he would “leave blood on the floor”.
They called for armed support but at that stage it was alleged the accused re-entered the lobby and admitted he had been in possession of a knife, and he was arrested.
The court heard there was CCTV evidence and the accused was no longer welcome to stay at the hotel which has been providing accommodation for the homeless.
The court heard he told gardaí he intended to return to his home country.”
His solicitor at the time, Tony Collier, argued that there were concerns regarding Mbuye’s mental health and that he didn’t have enough money to be able to leave the state.
Arguing that Mbuye was not a flight risk, Collier said his client was in “discussion with the Department of Justice in relation to voluntary repatriation” and that this was ‘a complex and lengthy process’.
The court was told that he had been living in an asylum centre in Kerry for several years before moving to Dublin and that alternative accommodation would be found for him as he was ordered to have no further interaction with staff from the Travelodge in Ballymun.
This time Judge Treasa Kelly set a bond of €100 and ordered that he sign on twice daily at a Garda station in the city centre. Again, he avoided jail.
Mbuye was in the news again today after he was sentenced to a 20-month jail term by Judge Tony O’Donnell who said the evidence before him was “deeply disturbing” and exacerbated by Mbuye’s previous convictions for similar offences.
The Irish Mirror reported Mbuye entered the victim’s room and passed by a screen around her bed at 4am. He stood at the end of her bed where he proceeded to undo his trousers and masturbate.
The court heard the victim was “terrified” when she realised what was happening and pretended to be asleep as she pressed the nurse-bell to alert staff.
In her evidence prosecuting counsel Lilly Buckle BL said the victim was in pain after her surgery when Mbuye entered her room.
The victim said that Mbuye -who was a patient at UHL – “continued masturbating” as the bell went off in a nearby nurses’ station.
Liam Carroll BL defending Mbuye said his client is the subject of a deportation order on his release from prison. Carroll said his client is seeking “international protection”.
Gardaí arrested Mbuye on the 31st of March last year but were unable to detain him as his offence carries a sentence less than four years in prison.
He had initially denied the charges against him but was found guilty by a jury on the 15th of January.
The victim said the incident left her with “PTSD” and “flashbacks” and that she was reluctant to return to the hospital for checkups for fear of running into Mbuye again.
The 20-month-sentence handed to Mbuye was backdated to the 2nd of July 2023, when he was taken into custody and held on remand.
What does all this say about our criminal justice and asylum systems?
This man was allowed to live in Ireland at the taxpayer’s expense for years on end as he repeatedly exposed himself to at least eight women. His latest victim – that we know about – said she is suffering PTSD like symptoms and flashbacks.
What does it say about our immigration system that he was neither given residency or removed from the state over all those years? And will his deportation order actually be carried out when so many are not?
As this writer previously reported, transgender Brazilian paedophile Bruno Binda DeSouza – who was ordered to be removed from the state on completion of his prison sentence was left to simply walk free from the Midlands Prison in November 2022.
Is anyone taking responsibility for enforcing the law around here?