A Somali man who urinated inside Store Street Garda station has avoided a custodial sentence after he was found to be in possession of a bladed object on the same occasion.
Mohammad Ali (33) who came to Ireland 10 years ago as part of a family reunification program, stumbled into the Garda station after midnight on the 3rd of January last and was observed to be “swaying from side to side and unsteady on his feet”.
Garda Jamie Quinn gave evidence of how the accused entered the station before “producing his penis from his trousers” before urinating “all over” the counter and floors of the reception area of the station in view of a number of members of the public, who were forced to vacate the area.
He was “slurring his words” and had a “strong smell of alcohol” coming from him.
This necessitated the closure of the station and the hiring of an “expensive” private cleaning company.
Defending counsel Barry Lysaght assured the court that his client did not require the aid of an interpreter, saying, “He speaks English.”
Ali, who has 20 previous convictions, claimed that his ID card had been stolen and that he was not the person who urinated in the station.
Garda Quinn found a knife in the defendant’s trousers during the course of his arrest, with the court hearing he has 3 previous convictions related to the possession of knives contrary to the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.
The “sharply pointed” object was described as a Stanly knife, which Mr. Lysaght said was somewhat “rusted”.
He was charged with a breach of Section 4 of the Public Order Act in relation to his state of intoxication at the time as he was believed to be a “danger to himself and others”.
Another matter that was brought before the court in respect of Ali by Garda Sean Heaney was struck out with liberty to re-enter due to an “un-cooperative” witness.
When Mr. Lysaght asked Garda Quinn if he was sure that the man in the dock was the same man who had urinated in the station, he replied, “I recognise him as the person I dealt with.”
At this point Ali indicated that he would change his plea to one of guilty.
The balance of his previous convictions are 4 for theft, 9 for breaches of the Public Order Act, and assault causing harm.
Mr. Lysaght said that at the time of the offence his client was “highly intoxicated” and wished to apologise to Garda Quinn and the members of the public who had witnessed his actions.
He claimed that his client had the knife in his trousers as he has perviously worked in construction but had “forgot” that it was there.
Ali is currently serving a sentence in relation to another matter which has a release date of the 30th of April 2026.
Judge Michele Finan held aloft the knife, handed to the court in evidence in a protective case, and, addressing Ali directly, said “This is your 4th conviction for carrying knives,” adding, “this carries a 12 month custodial sentence.”
Judge Finan sentenced Ali to 9 months in prison to run consecutive to his current sentence, but suspend this for a period of 2 years on a bond of €200 and on condition that he be of good behaviour and not accrue any more knife related convictions.
“If you carry a knife again on the streets of Dublin or anywhere in Ireland, I’ll be adding 9 months on top of any other sentence you get,” she said.
“If you walk out of the house with a knife in hand you’re looking at a 12 month sentence,” she said.