Man jailed for shooting workmate in buttock

A man who lost his temper and shot a work colleague in the buttock at a Dublin recycling firm has been sentenced to seven years in jail with the final three years suspended.

Father-of-one Anton Zefaj (34) shot at mechanic Stanislaw Bognal six times following an argument over the maintenance of a truck.

Zefaj, of Hazelwood Crescent, Clondalkin, was found guilty after a trial of possessing a firearm with the intent to endanger life, possessing a firearm in suspicious circumstances and assault causing harm to Mr Bognal at National Recycling in Clondalkin on August 7th, 2012.

Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Desmond Hogan said Zefaj seemed to have had "a very short fuse".

He noted that Zefaj had also lost his temper in custody and damaged a television, but has since been described by the governor of Cloverhill Prison as a “model prisoner”.

Judge Hogan directed that €4,000 in compensation offered by Zefaj as an expression of his remorse be handed over to the victim.

The court heard that Zefaj, originally from Albania, had been living, working and paying taxes in Ireland for 17 years under the false name of Roc Tirpin.

However, he regularised his affairs when he married his long-term partner last year.

Detective Garda Tomas Doyle told Colm O’Briain, prosecuting, that both Zefaj and Mr Bognal, a Polish mechanic, were employed at National Recycling.

Zefaj complained to Mr Bognal about the breaks on his truck, and Mr Bognal responded that if he drove the truck slowly the breaks would work.

Zefaj became aggressive and a row broke out. Another employee intervened and Zefaj left the workshop.

He returned a short time later with a handgun and fired the gun at Mr Bognal. Five shots missed but one bullet hit him in the buttock.

Mr Bognal was later brought to James Connolly Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Zefaj was located a short time later at a friend’s house where he denied shooting Mr Bognal and indicated Mr Bognal had shot himself.

Defence counsel Shane Costelloe said Zefaj later accepted the verdict of the jury.

“It was a low-key confrontation which escalated beyond all understanding in the blink of an eye,” he added, explaining that Zefaj had found the gun in scrap a few months earlier.

“He just snapped and got the gun. It seems to be grossly out of character. He is a hard-working family man and has never done anything like this before,” said Mr Costelloe.

In a victim impact report, Mr Bognol said he has not had a full night’s sleep since the shooting and is in fear of his life.

“I find it hard to get motivated and find it very difficult to trust anyone. Even if I see someone coming towards me, I get paranoid and my wife wants me to stay at home as she fears it will happen again,” Mr Bognol stated.

Judge Hogan ordered Zefaj to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for three years on his release from jail.