Man to be sentenced for bringing hatchets, a hammer and wheel brace to a violent brawl in city centre

A man brought hatchets, a hammer and a wheel brace to a violent brawl outside a Dublin city nightclub, a court has heard.

Ahmad Majeed (26) appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on signed guilty pleas relating to committing violent disorder at Love Lane, a venue off Grafton street on July 7, 2019.

Majeed of Warrenstown Close, Blanchardstown, Dublin, has also pleaded guilty to possession of articles intended unlawfully to cause injury to a person on the same date at Wicklow Street, Dublin City Centre.

Pieter LeVert BL, prosecuting, outlined to the court that on the night in question a group of around 30 men, many of them with their faces covered up with ski masks, tried to force their way into an event in the nightclub.

Security personnel were forced to stop the mob getting in and one doorman was punched and kicked all over his head and body.

A shopping bag from “Brown Thomas” found at the scene contained two hatchets, a hammer, a wheel brace and a towing eye.

A rucksack also discovered at the scene contained two petrol bombs, one made from a beer bottle and a larger one made from a brandy bottle.

The doorman who was injured during the fracas told gardaí that after being punched and kicked members of the mob then tried to drag him into the crowd. A colleague managed to prevent this by pulling him back.

Mr LeVert told the court that a garda investigation involved gathering of CCTV from across the city during the night. This footage showed about 20 men, including Majeed, gathering on nearby Clarendon Street earlier in the night.

The footage showed Majeed holding the Brown Thomas bag and passing it to another person but later taking it back before making his way with others to the nightclub.

Footage also shows another man hiding the rucksack underneath a traffic cone earlier in the night and Majeed later moving this cone to reveal the rucksack. Footage from the incident shows another man trying unsuccessfully to light one of the petrol bombs before leaving the scene.

Majeed was later identified and arrested at his home and told gardaí he didn’t know anything about the petrol bombs.

He said that if he had known what was going to happen on the night he would have stayed at home.

He told gardaí “people could have died”.

Richard Brady BL, defending, said his client was not at the front of the mob and there was no evidence that he had carried out any of the assaults on the doorman. He said there is no history of violence in his previous offending, which are limited to road traffic offences.

He said Majeed is of support to his sister who has physical welfare issues and asked the court to be as lenient as possible.

Judge Karen O’Connor said it was a serious matter. She adjourned sentence to March 12 next and remanded Majeed on continuing bail.