Man who attempted to abduct child from apartment told to leave jurisdiction

By Natasha Reid and Eimear Dodd

A man who attempted to abduct a five-year-old child from a Dublin apartment complex has been handed a three-year suspended prison sentence and told to leave the jurisdiction within the next two weeks.

Visak Rajesh Leela (26) with an address in South Dublin, pleaded guilty to the attempted abduction on September 14, 2024 from an apartment block in Dublin.

The defendant told gardai he did not remember the incident as he was intoxicated after attending a party. He said that he did not know why he ran after the child and pushed him out of the building. However, he suggested that perhaps he thought that he knew the children.

After hearing the facts of the case, Judge Martin Nolan previously said there were “troubling aspects” to the case, and adjourned the case for a probation report, including an assessment of Leela’s risk of re-offending.

Judge Nolan said this was a “somewhat unusual case” and noted the probation report, which assessed Leela at low risk of re-offending.

The judge said in light of the facts of the case and the probation report, the court had considered if Leela “is a danger to children” and “come to the conclusion he is not”.

Judge Nolan said any offences involving children are serious and courts are “very careful to protect children”.

The judge said the court considered in the circumstances of this case that Leela’s culpability was low and that he didn’t deserve an immediate custodial sentence.

Having considered Leela’s personal circumstances and the mitigation, Judge Nolan imposed a three-year sentence, suspended on strict conditions. He directed Leela to leave the jurisdiction within the next two weeks and not to return for 10 years.

Garda Laura McDermott previously gave evidence that Leela was leaving a party at the apartment block at 9pm on September 14, 2024 when he encountered two children playing outside their block.

The children then went inside and the defendant signalled for the young boy to let him inside, which he did. Leela then ran after the child and pulled him towards the door. He managed to then push the boy out the door. Footage of this incident was shown to Judge Nolan.

Gda McDermott explained that the boy’s sister ran out after her little brother and managed to push the defendant in the back into bushes. This was not captured on the CCTV footage, but came to light during the girl’s specialist interviews.

The children then returned to the doorway, and the footage showed the defendant following them and crouching down to speak to them.

The girl buzzed her parents and the children managed to get inside, return home and tell their parents what had happened. Within minutes, CCTV footage was obtained from the security hut and gardaí arrived.

Gardaí ascertained that Leela had attended a party at the apartment complex; the party host phoned him and suggested he return and he did so.

Gda McDermott said that when the defendant returned, he was steady on his feet, did not slur his words, there was no smell of alcohol and she did not believe he was intoxicated.

However, she agreed that a doctor did suspend his detention for a number of hours after finding he was intoxicated.

Leela told gardaí that he couldn’t remember the incident, but accepted that it was him in the footage. He explained that he’d had one ounce of Jameson and three shots of Jäegermeister over several hours.

He told them that he was from India, and had come here in October 2023 on a student visa. He was due to complete his MBA at Dublin Business School and he also worked part-time.

A victim impact statement prepared by the children’s parents was handed to the court and not read aloud.

Under cross examination by the defence, Gda McDermott agreed that this was a short incident and that the children returned to their parents within minutes.

She also agreed that gardaí had never asked him to return to the scene, and that when he did so, he wasn’t wearing any shoes.

“What did he say when you asked him why he did it?” asked the judge.

“He couldn’t remember why he had done it,” she replied. “He said he was thinking of his relatives and cousins back home.”

The court also heard that Leela voluntarily handed over his phone and other devices, which were analysed and returned to him, with no material found.

His barrister told the court that although four drinks might not seem a lot, his client never drinks.

“He’s of the belief that he thought he might have known these children,” he said. “When he sobered up and was told what he did, he had the shock of his life.”

Counsel explained that his parents live in Qatar and that he has no siblings, and he does not come from ‘any means’. However, he has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Masters in Marketing. He had also lined up in a MSC in Marketing, and is devastated that he will now not be able to pursue that.

Counsel said that he had spent three months in custody following this incident and that his mental health is in dire straits.

“He’s on his own house arrest,” he said, explaining that Leela doesn’t go out and spends his time in his bedroom. “That is his safe space.”

“He was bullied and assaulted in custody,” he continued. “Threats have been made against his life. He has found this a very tough challenge. He doesn’t see much of a future.”

Counsel said that the defendant has a plan to deal with a psychologist in Qatar.

“He has been struggling to eat since,” he said, explaining that his parents had to sell their ceremonial wedding garments to help him financially.

“He can’t sleep with the remorse and pain,” he said. “He says that two minutes of a mistake he made has ruined his life.”

Counsel said that Leela offers his sincere apologies to the parents and the children involved. He does not know if he will move on with his life, said counsel, but he hopes they will.

Counsel said that Leela has no family here. His uncle arrived once to see him, but he has told his family not to come, as he does not want to put his hardship on them.

“He had a whole life planned ahead of him in Ireland, which is now gone,” he said. “If the court gives him the chance, he’ll be on a plane tomorrow… He fully accepts that his life in Ireland is over.”