A 22-year-old Nigerian man, Martin Ekhosuehi, has been sentenced to nine years in prison in Ireland after a jury found him guilty of aggravated burglary, assault causing harm and making threats to kill following a violent attack on two students.
Ekhosuehi was convicted by a jury at the Cork Circuit Criminal Court over an incident that occurred at a student residence on Highfield Avenue, College Road in Cork on July 2, 2023.
According to a report by The Irish Times, the convict and an accomplice subjected the victims to a terrifying hour-long ordeal, during which they threatened to cut off the students’ fingers if they failed to produce money and drugs.
The court heard that Ekhosuehi, who resides at Willow Gardens, Glanmire in Cork, had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, trial judge, Sinead Behan, imposed an 11-year prison sentence but suspended the final two years.
During the trial, the investigating officer, Eoghain O’Callaghan, told the court that two masked men forced their way into the students’ rented apartment around 7pm, armed with a chef’s knife and a screwdriver while demanding money.
The attackers reportedly searched the house for cash and cocaine while holding the victims at knifepoint and striking them on the head.
At one point, one of the suspects warned that he would start cutting off their fingers if they did not quickly hand over valuables.
After ransacking the property, the men escaped through the back door with €30 and the victims’ mobile phones.
Police later recovered a glove left at the scene, which forensic analysis linked to Ekhosuehi through fingerprints. Officers also identified him through CCTV footage.
The court further heard that one of the victims had been on a call with his girlfriend when the break-in began.
Alarmed by unusual noises before the call abruptly ended, she contacted the police.
When officers eventually reached the house after the suspects fled, they found the victims visibly shaken and suffering facial injuries.
The students told investigators they had been repeatedly threatened and feared they would be killed.
Evidence presented in court showed that Ekhosuehi had 14 previous convictions, including offences related to drug possession, drug dealing, money laundering and possession of knives.
While delivering judgment, Behan described the attack as premeditated, noting that the suspects had concealed their identities and arrived with a clear criminal intent.
She added that the offence warranted a starting sentence of 12 years but reduced it to 11 years, suspending the final two years after considering the convict’s young age and family support.
