A Chinese national has been found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of abducting a fellow-national and taking money from him under threat last year.
Xu Shi Fan (20), Synnott Place, Dublin 1, was remanded in custody by Judge Patrick McCartan for sentencing on December 19th.
The jury convicted him of assault with intent to rob and of false imprisonment of a Chinese student in a flat in Synnott Place on November 12th last year. He had denied the charges.
The court heard the victim was approached in November last year in an amusement arcade in Dublin by a flat mate of Xu Shi Fan and forced to hand £180 and US$100. He returned on November 12th to the arcade where he met the same man who was accompanied by another Chinese national. He was told he would get his money back if he went to this man's apartment.
They arrived at an apartment in Synnott Place where the victim met Xu Shi Fan. The victim was asked for a total of £8,000. A long knife was produced and they threatened to cut off his fingers.
A friend of the victim later handed over £500 and promised more money later in the week.
Three days after the attack the victim went to Store Street Garda to make a complaint. Gardaí searched the apartment and found a knife which the victim identified as the one used to threaten him and the mobile phone used by one of the three men. He and his friend identified Xu Shi Fan in court.