A 52-year-old man has been found guilty of the attempted murder of three young children in the stabbing incident that took place at Parnell Square in Dublin almost three years ago.
Riad Bouchaker, who has no fixed abode, was convicted of all eight charges he faced following a trial at the Central Criminal Court. The jury deliberated for just over four hours before returning unanimous guilty verdicts.
He was also found guilty of stabbing childcare worker Leanne Flynn, who intervened in an attempt to protect the children, as well as assaulting two other children and a teenager who tried to disarm him during the attack.
The court heard that the most seriously injured victim, a five-year-old girl, suffered a stab wound to the heart and has been left with a severe, life-changing brain injury.
Flowers on Parnell Square near Gaelscoil Colaiste Mhuire, where there was an attack on the school's children on 23rd November. Derick P. Hudson, Shutterstock
During the three-week trial, jurors were presented with CCTV evidence and witness testimony outlining Bouchaker’s movements in the hours leading up to the attack on 23 November 2023.
The court heard that Bouchaker, an Algerian-born man who had lived in Ireland for around 25 years and held Irish citizenship, had recently received a letter refusing him a social welfare payment.
On the morning of the attack, he met his brother, who explained the letter to him. CCTV footage later showed him tearing up a piece of paper and discarding it.
Prosecutors told the court that he then returned to his accommodation, collected his belongings, and took a 36-centimetre kitchen carving knife before leaving.
He was seen leaving most of his possessions at a mosque on Talbot Street before travelling towards Parnell Square with the knife in his backpack.
Along the way, a witness reported hearing him repeatedly shouting “shit Irish, shit f**ing Irish”* in what was described as an aggressive manner.
CCTV shown in court also captured him in a laneway behind Parnell Square, where he asked a passer-by for directions to the school shortly before the attack unfolded.
The violent incident injured five people in total, including the three children, Leanne Flynn, and a teenager who stepped in to help.
The case led to widespread shock across Dublin and sparked public disorder in parts of the city later that evening.
Bouchaker denied the charges throughout the trial but was found guilty on all counts. He is due to be sentenced at a later date.
