Courts

Man accused of carrying out ‘predatory attack’ on woman he followed from Luas in Churchtown

Seif Waleed Al Hindawi (22) denies attacking woman who told gardaí she was held down and bitten on the face

The court heard the woman and the accused did not know each other. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien/The Irish Times

Tom Tuite
Sat May 25 2024 - 12:38

A man has been accused of following and carrying out a “predatory” attack on a woman who informed gardaí she was held on the ground and bitten on her face and lips in the South Dublin suburb of Churchtown.

Seif Waleed Al Hindawi (22), believed to be from Syria and of no fixed abode, was charged with assault causing harm to the woman who suffered facial injuries near her home in Churchtown on Wednesday night.

He was detained for questioning over two days. On Friday evening he was charged and held pending the next sitting of Dublin District Court. On Saturday he was denied bail by Judge Monika Leech.

Garda Michelle Maunsell told Judge Leech that Mr Hindawi’s reply to the charge was, “I didn’t attack her”.

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The judge noted that the accused and the woman did not know each other.

Garda Stephen Morley objected to bail due to the seriousness of the incident and flight risk concerns.

He said directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions were awaited, adding that there may be further charges.

Mr Hindawi was granted legal aid and remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on May 31st.

Garda Morley said the woman stated that a male assaulted her after she got off a Luas tram at Windy Arbour at about 11.20pm on Wednesday.

She told the gardaí that she “felt someone was following her”. It was alleged that she continued walking to her housing estate and contacted her husband “because she felt anxious at the situation”.

It was claimed the man “ran toward her, pushed her to the ground”. She landed on her back and screamed, and the male “held her down and was attempting to bite her on the face”.

“She says the male was screaming in a foreign language, and she made attempts to defend herself by hitting him while she was still on an active call with her husband, who heard the assault over the phone.”

The garda told the court the woman stated she tried to kick the man to get him off her, and he ran away.

She dialled 999, got into a car with her husband, and she allegedly kept the male in sight.

The court heard she described the attacker to the emergency service operator.

The garda said the woman sustained a cut on her lip and was treated at St Vincent’s hospital with a tetanus injection and antibiotics.

The court heard she had bruises and swelling and a cut on the inside of her lip that required stitches, and she was terrified.

It was alleged the complainant pointed out the accused to gardaí, and he had blood coming from his mouth and lips and blood stains on his clothing.

Garda Morley told the court the man was unemployed and had no ties to the State or family here. He conceded that the accused had no convictions, warrant history, or other charges pending.

The officer said he believed it was “a premeditated assault on a vulnerable female walking home alone late at night in a poorly lit area”. He said it was a “predatory” and “opportunistic” attack.

The man did not address the court and listened to the proceedings with the aid of an interpreter.

Garda Morley said the accused was believed to be a Syrian asylum seeker.

The court heard he did not provide an address and had no valid form of ID other than a card given to him with a date of birth.

During further exchanges between the witness and the defence, the garda said it was believed the man came to Ireland in March “by ship in a container with his brother” and had been in Dundrum in recent weeks. He did not have a passport.

Mr Casey said his client instructed him that he was homeless but had been offered accommodation at what used to be a hostel in Dundrum with his brother.

He said the defendant had an international protection application card given to him by the Irish authorities.

Refusing bail, Judge Leech held that he was a flight risk.

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