A refugee who told an immigration officer at Dublin airport that if he had a gun he would shoot him was sentenced to four months imprisonment yesterday. Dare Mahalai (49), a Nigerian, of Brighton Avenue, Rathgar, Dublin, denied assaulting three gardai during an incident behind the immigration control boxes on January 2nd last year. He claimed the gardai "made up" allegations that he punched one in the face, pulled another by the tie and kicked another. Dublin District Court was told he was stopped after he came off a flight from London and produced a booklet showing his refugee status. When asked by an officer for a passport or other travel document he became abusive calling him "a racist bastard". He took out his wallet and started throwing various documents around the immigration control area. Det Sgt Martin Donohue said he intervened and asked him to calm down, but the defendant struck him in the face and grabbed his jacket. Two other gardai left the immigration control boxes to assist. Det Garda Thomas Traynor said his tie was grabbed and squeezed very hard. Det Garda John Smith said he got slight kicks to his legs and scrapes on his hand before they managed to get him into the detention room and lock the door. During the struggle he also said to one of the gardai: "If I had a gun I would shoot you, you racist bastard." Mahalai said he had worked with non-governmental organisations for refugees and had been aware the black people and Romanians had been having problems coming through immigration. He denied the assaults but claimed he was "pounced on suddenly" by the three officers and put into the detention room. Judge Patrick Brady said gardai were quite entitled to request further evidence of identity.
He also imposed a six-month suspended sentence, consecutive to the four months' imprisonment, and fined Mahalai £550. He also ordered that as a condition of the suspended sentence he would be bound to the peace for three years.