The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Wednesday, March 11, sentenced two convicted drug dealers to three years jail term for attacking a 34-year-old Nigerian man, Quaham Babatunde, during a violent incident in Ireland.
Bruno Tache and Rory Carr assaulted Babatunde after he had been stabbed during a series of fights in Dublin city centre.
Babatunde later died from the attack, which occurred after a St Valentine’s night out on South Anne Street in February 2025.
21-year-old Tache, fromTrimleston, Balbriggan in Co Dublin, and 22-year-old Carr, from Ard Na Gréine, Seapoint Lane in Balbriggan, had pleaded guilty to affray and assault charges.
The violence began in the early hours of February 15, 2025, after an event at Club 22 on South Anne Street attended by about 400 people.
Tache had been drinking heavily in the club and was removed around 2 a.m. because he was intoxicated.
When his friends came out about an hour later, he and Carr became involved in a series of fights on South Anne Street, Duke Lane and Dawson Street.
During the unrest, Tache attacked one man while Carr punched another twice, as Babatunde, who was nearby, was stabbed.
Another man is currently before the courts in Northern Ireland charged with Babatunde’s murder.
Carr also punched and kicked a person while they were on the ground, while Tache assaulted another man who later lost consciousness.
Although neither Tache nor Carr carried out the stabbing, the court heard that after Babatunde had been stabbed, Carr punched him eight times, though not all the blows landed.
Tache also kicked him in the head.
Detective superintendent Katherina Joyce told the court that gardaí identified suspects from the Balbriggan area and began making arrests two days later.
When Carr was informed during questioning that someone had died, he said: “I had nothing to do with this murder, I didn’t know anyone was stabbed, I didn’t see a knife. I heard it on the news the next morning, and God rest his soul.”
Tache exercised his right to silence during questioning but told gardaí when asked about his clothing: “I’ll be honest with you, the clothes are gone, everything is gone after the lads were arrested.”
The court heard that Carr has 34 previous convictions, while Tache has 20.
Both men were on bail for other offences at the time of the attack and were also serving suspended sentences.
Six victim impact statements were submitted to the court, although only one was read aloud.
The victim said he suffered an eye injury that left him blind for several months and added that he has never been at peace since the incident.
He told the court that Babatunde was his best friend and said it could easily have been him who died.
In sentencing, Judge Orla Crowe said both men had significant criminal records and were on bail at the time, adding that the seriousness of the offences required a custodial sentence.
She noted that although the events unfolded within seconds, they involved extreme violence and lawlessness.
The judge said both men had expressed remorse and written letters of apology, while Tache had shown progress as an enhanced prisoner.
She sentenced both men to three years and six months in prison, with the final six months suspended due to their relatively young ages and to encourage rehabilitation.
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