By Sonya McLean
A man who was in the middle of a psychotic episode when he slashed the face of a woman in a random unprovoked attack near her home has been jailed for two years.
Sami Skhiri (35) of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm and possession of a shard of broken glass on August 30, 2023. He has no previous convictions
Garda Siobhan Frisbee told Rebecca Smith BL prosecuting that the woman heard a noise outside her home just after 10pm on the night of the attack and went to investigate. She spotted a man, later identified as Skhiri, who had a bandana covering his face and mouth.
The woman asked him three times if he was “ok” but when Skhiri didn’t reply she became scared and attempted to call on her neighbour for assistance.
There was nobody at home and Skhiri continued to hang around. She was scared and intimidated by him and asked him to “please go away”.
Gda Frisbee said Skhiri then launched at the woman holding an item to the base of her throat. She grabbed out at his hand and was terrified he was going to kill her. Skhiri cut the woman’s face and continued to make a stabbing motion towards her throat.
The assault came to an end and two people walking by came to the woman’s assistance. She later told gardaí that her attacker never spoke a word.
The woman was later treated for a 9cm long shallow cut to her face. It didn’t require stitches. Gda Frisbee confirmed that the shard of glass most likely caused the injury. A victim impact statement was handed into court, but not read out.
A description of her attacker was circulated by gardaí and Skhiri was stopped a short distance away a few moments later. He resisted arrest but was ultimately handcuffed and searched. A scissors, a large stone and a broken shard of glass was found on him.
Gda Frisbee said Skhiri was deemed unfit for interview when he was first brought into the garda station and made no admissions in a subsequent interview. He was charged and has been remanded in custody since.
Gda Frisbee agreed with Padraig Dwyer SC, defending, that his client was going through a psychotic episode at the time of the attack.
She accepted that his father is a doctor and he is originally from Tunisia. His mother died of cancer since Skhiri’s remand in custody.
Mr Dwyer said his client was diagnosed in 2018 but was off his medication at the time.
He said a month before the attack, his brother and doctor had expressed concerns that Skhiri was off his medication.
Mr Dwyer said Skhiri now accepts that he must continue with his medical regime and accepts that this attack would never have happened if he had been taken his medication as prescribed.
Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged that Skhiri was ill at the time which he said was “very unfortunate for the victim”.
He said it would have been quite a frightening incident for her but accepted the medical evidence that the cut was shallow and she has recovered well.
Judge Nolan said Skhiri must always take his medication to protect himself and society.
He said a headline sentence of four year was warranted before he reduced this to three years having taken into account the mitigating features of the case.
Judge Nolan suspended the last year of the term on condition that Skhiri leave Ireland and move to live with his brother in Germany on his ultimate release from prison. He backdated the sentence to when Skhiri first went into prison in August 2023