A Chinese man has been jailed for 18 months by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for abducting a fellow-national and taking money from him under threat in the city centre last year.
Xu Shi Fan (20), Synnott Place, Dublin, was convicted a month ago by a jury of assault with intent to rob and of false imprisonment of a student in a flat in Synnott Place on November 12th last year.
Judge Patrick McCartan said it was a nasty event and a mean offence. Although Fan did not play a major role, he did strike the victim twice and co-operated with others to cause him fear in order to extract money.
Judge McCartan backdated the sentence to November 18th last year when Fan was taken into custody and also recommended he be deported when released.
Det Garda Kieron Gallagher told Ms Melanie Greally, prosecuting, that the victim was approached on November 5th last year in Dr Quirky's Good Time Amusement Arcade by a flatmate of the accused and forced to hand over some money. After taking £180 and $100, this man gave the victim £40 back.
He then gave the victim a phone number and told him if he called he would get some more money back. The victim tried to call the number the following week but did not get through to anyone.
Det Garda Gallagher said the victim returned on November 12th to Dr Quirky's where he met the same man, accompanied by another Chinese national. He was told he would get his money if he went to this man's apartment.
They arrived at an apartment in Synnott Place where the victim met Xu Shi Fan. There was then a total of three Chinese men threatening him.
Fan told the victim he knew he had told people what had happened on November 5th and slapped him in the face. He was threatened if he told any one else he would be killed.
The victim was then asked for £5,000 by one of the men and for £3,000 by the man he previously met in the arcade. A long knife was produced and they threatened to cut off his fingers.
Det Garda Gallagher said the victim phoned a friend living in Dublin.
This friend was told on the phone by the three men the victim would be kept in the apartment and if they did not get money, he would be in trouble.
After midnight, the victim was taken by the three men to meet his friend who handed over £500. More money was promised later in the week.
The victim and the man he met in the arcade exchanged phone numbers and he was then released.