Accusations have been levelled against a man for the alleged attack and stalking of a woman in the Churchtown suburb of South Dublin. She reported that the man bit her face and lips, pinning her to the ground. The man, Seif Waleed Al Hindawi, 22, who may be originally from Syria and currently without a fixed residence, faces charges related to assault resulting in the woman’s face injuries close to her Churchtown home on a Wednesday night.
Mr Al Hindawi was taken into custody for two days of questioning. He was formally charged on Friday evening. The subsequent hearing of the Dublin District Court refused him bail on Saturday with Judge Monika Leech presiding. The Garda officer, Michelle Maunsell, informed Judge Leech that Mr Al Hindawi denied the accusation stating, “I didn’t attack her”. The judge took note that the alleged victim and Mr Al Hindawi were unfamiliar with each other.
Garda officer, Stephen Morley, opposed bail due to the severity of the case and risk of Mr Al Hindawi fleeing. He stated that the case still awaited directives from the Director of Public Prosecutions and that there could be additional charges. Mr Al Hindawi has been granted legal support and will remain in custody until his next court appearance at Cloverhill District Court on May 31st.
Garda Morley confirmed that the woman reported she was attacked after disembarking a Luas tram at Windy Arbour around 11.20pm on Wednesday. She felt a man was trailing her and she contacted her husband due to growing anxiety. It was reported that the man charged towards her, knocked her down and tried to bite her on the face while holding her down. According to her, the man was yelling in a foreign language and she tried to fend him off by hitting him. She was on the phone with her husband who heard the assault taking place. The woman fought off the attacker by trying to kick him and he fled the scene.
The original text revealed that a woman made a 999 call, kept track of a male suspect while in a car with her partner, and narrated the description of her assailant to the emergency helpline. The woman required medical help at St Vincent’s hospital after sustaining a laceration on her lip, for which she received a tetanus shot and antibiotics. The physical trauma, including internal lip damage that needed stitches, swelling and bruises, had frightened her immensely.
During the court hearing, it was shared that the victim identified her attacker to the police, who was noticed with blood on his mouth, lips, and clothes. The law enforcement officer, Garda Morley, described the unidentified man as unemployed, with no family or connections in the country. He begrudgingly admitted that the accused had a clean record with no prior convictions, pending charges or warrant history.
According to Officer Morley, the attack was premeditated, directed at a vulnerable woman who was returning home late at night, alone in a dimly lit place. He referred to the assault as opportunistic and predatory. The suspected man, though present during the court proceedings, remained silent and relied on an interpreter for understanding.
The court learned that the unnamed man, thought to be a Syrian asylum seeker, provided no address and only a card indicating his date of birth served as his identification. Garda Morley further revealed that the man was suspected of arriving in Ireland by ship along with his brother in a container in March. Lately, he seemed to have stayed in Dundrum, while possessing no passport.
Defence counsel, Mr Casey, stated that his client, though homeless, had a place to stay along with his brother, in a former hostel in Dundrum. Serving as identification, the defendant had been given an international protection application card by the Irish government. Despite this, acceding to Judge Leech’s refusal for bail, the individual was considered a potential escape risk.