Man guilty of attempted murder of three children in Dublin

A 52-year-old man has been found guilty of attempting to murder three children and assaulting four other people in Dublin. The attack occurred outside a school in November 2023 and led to significant riots.

Riad Bouchaker, who has no fixed address, was convicted of all eight charges against him at the Central Criminal Court. The jury found him guilty of the attempted murder of three children and the assault causing serious harm to crèche worker Leanne Flynn. He was also found guilty of assaulting two other children and a teenager.

The court heard that a five-year-old girl suffered a life-long brain injury after being stabbed in the heart during the attack. Bouchaker had denied all the charges.

The jury deliberated for approximately six hours before reaching their verdict on Wednesday afternoon. Judge Tony Hunt thanked the jury for their difficult work, stating their verdicts were "entirely in line with the evidence."

Sentencing for Bouchaker has been scheduled for October 12, and he will remain in custody until then.

The attack took place on November 23, 2023, in Dublin's Parnell Square. It sparked widespread riots across the city, requiring the deployment of the largest number of riot police in Irish history.

During the unrest that followed the attack, rioters destroyed 11 police vehicles, damaged 13 shops, and looted others. Three buses and a tram were also destroyed, and several police officers sustained injuries over three hours of violence. At the time, Ireland's police chief, Drew Harris, attributed the rioting to a "lunatic, hooligan faction driven by a far-right ideology."

The violent events of November 2023 in Dublin, which followed the attack outside a school, led to significant public disorder. The scale of the rioting necessitated an unprecedented police response, highlighting the intensity of the unrest that gripped the city.

The conviction of Riad Bouchaker addresses a serious criminal act that had profound consequences, not only for the immediate victims but also for the broader social fabric of Dublin. The subsequent riots underscored deep-seated tensions and vulnerabilities within the city, prompting a significant law enforcement response. The court's decision brings a measure of closure to the victims and their families, while the sentencing will determine the legal consequences for the perpetrator.

Riad Bouchaker will be remanded in custody until his sentencing on October 12, at which point the court will determine the penalty for his crimes.