+34
Congolese man in his mid 30s died on Dublin’s Henry Street in May
Gardaí investigating the death of Yves Sakila on Dublin’s Henry Street in May have issued a renewed appeal for witnesses, including asking for a woman in her late teens or early 20s to come forward.
During the incident, “a male and a female” were knocked to the ground, gardaí said in a press release, but while they have spoken to the man, they have yet to reach the woman. Sakila, who was Congolese and was in his mid-30s, was suspected of shoplifting from Arnotts and was pursued by security personnel on May 15th at around 5pm.
When gardaí arrived on the scene, Sakila had been held on the ground by a group of security guards for a period. The responding gardaí handcuffed Sakila in an apparent bid to get control of the situation and attend to the injured pensioner.
However, almost immediately after the handcuffs were applied, gardaí realised Sakila was unwell, removed the handcuffs and began performing CPR. He was then taken to the Mater hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Video footage of the first part of the incident, involving a group of men restraining the deceased, circulated on messaging apps.
It showed the group, at least some of whom are security personnel, holding Sakila to the ground as he is face down on the pedestrianised street. The woman gardaí wish to speak to was described as “a white female, dark hair, in her late teens to early twenties, wearing a khaki-coloured waist length coat, black crop T-shirt, blue jeans cut at the knees and black Adidas runners”.
“After being knocked to the ground she got up herself and stayed around for a few minutes before making her way to O’Connell Street,” gardaí said. The force asked that she contact the investigation team at Store Street Garda Station, the Garda confidential line or any Garda station. It also said that investigating gardaí “believe that there are also still other persons who were in the area at the time who have not come forward”.
They encouraged them to do so. Gardaí received the results of a postmortem investigation but have not released them for operational reasons. The high-profile death of Sakila led to protests on the streets of Dublin in its wake attended by members of the Congolese and other African communities as well as members of the wider public. The Congolese minister for foreign affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, met Sakila’s family and Irish ministers over the matter on a visit to Ireland.
Ebun Joseph, the special rapporteur on racism, called for an “urgent” independent investigation into the incident, expressing “profound shock and grave concern”.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Former Garda Receives Suspended Sentence for Controlling and Coercive BehaviourA former Garda officer who admitted to controlling and coercing his wife over three years has received an 18-month suspended sentence and been ordered to pay €10,000 in compensation. The court heard that he tracked his wife's phone, restricted her movements, controlled household finances and used physical violence during arguments. The judge said the offender had an outdated attitude toward women and considered factors including his mental health history, remorse and involvement in his children's lives.
Read more »
Young Leinster side outmuscled by physical Sharks in DurbanExposing young players to high-level rugby will be arguably more valuable as the season unfurls despite defeat
Read more »
Munster Beat Bulls 26-22 as Young Flyhalf Charlie O'Shea StarsMunster secured their first win of the United Rugby Championship season with a 26-22 victory over the Bulls. Twenty-year-old flyhalf Charlie O'Shea delivered a standout debut, kicking a penalty and guiding Munster to victory despite late injuries and squad disruption.
Read more »
Loyalist rapper Young Spencer uses music to bridge Belfast's sectarian divideBelfast rapper Young Spencer reflects on growing up in the loyalist Lower Shankill, his community's painful association with paramilitary violence, and how music has allowed him to challenge prejudice and connect with people beyond his own background.
Read more »