A former pro-footballer from Algeria has avoided jail after he “gouged” another man’s eyes in a Ramadan fast fuelled incident.
Zakaria Mansour (36), who has an address in Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to assault contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Persons Act.
Prosecuting counsel, Aideen Collard told Judge Martin Nolan how, on the 11th o f March last year, the accused became involved in an incident with another man over parking outside a shop on the first day of Ramadan in a “brief road rage incident”.
The court heard that both men had parked their cars on the pavement outside a food shop when the accused started “pointing aggressively” at the injured party and began a “verbal altercation” with him.
The interaction turned physical after the accused entered the shop and “grabbed” the injured party before he “gouged him in the eyes” and scratched his face.
Six members of the public had to break up the altercation, with video shown to the court showing that both men were being held back from each other.
Garda Ben Dowling of Kevin Street Garda station agreed with Ms. Collard when she said, “They were on their first day of their fast.”
Defending counsel, Luke O’Higgins BL, said that the accused has some minor previous convictions from the District Court, and that he came to Ireland 15 years ago with hopes of joining Shamrock Rovers.
Mansour made a voluntary statement to Gardaí in which he “sugar coated” what had happened, claiming to have acted in self defence and that Ramadan “led to tensions being high”, Mr. O’Higgins argued.
The injured party did not receive any medical attention, the court heard.
Mansour has previously worked as a barber in Dublin, however his previous place of work closed in 2019.
He has now been offered a new position in another barber’s, Mr. O’Higgins said.
Judge Nolan noted that Mansour “initiated this particular entanglement”, but said that he did not deserve to go to prison.
The court sentenced the accused to 3 months in prison to be suspended in full on condition of good behaviour.