Heroin addict pushed man into the freezing canal

A heroin addict took umbrage at a Christmas reveller he saw urinating into the canal and pushed him head first into the freezing water.

Hamdan Ariffin (33), with former addresses in Fairlands Avenue and Lower Fairhill Road, “forcefully” pushed the 37-year-old stranger into the canal at Bruach na Coiribe, off Bridge Street,  at 3.10am on December 30 last, Sergeant Georgina Lohan told Galway District Court.

The victim had been out socialising and was walking along Bridge Street with friends when he decided to turn into Bruach na Coiribe to urinate.

“The defendant approached him and forcefully pushed him into the canal.  He was not a good swimmer and a friend had to pull him out.

“The victim went head first into the canal and lost his prescription glasses which cost €190,” Sgt Lohan explained to the court.

Gardai arrested Ariffin a short time later in Dominick Street and he was subsequently charged with assaulting the man (by pushing him into the canal), with causing criminal damage to his glasses, with breaching the peace and with being intoxicated in a public place.

He pleaded guilty to the charges and also to a separate charge of being found in possession of €25 worth of heroin at Woodquay last October.

Judge Mary Fahy said she was shocked and horrified to think that someone would do such a thing to another person.

Defence solicitor, Brian Gilmartin said his client’s reply when charged –  “I pushed him because he was pissing in the river” – explained his state of mind at the time.

He said Ariffin was battling a serious drug addiction and was currently serving a seven-month sentence for drug dealing.

Judge Fahy said the victim could have drowned, particularly as he had been out socialising and was not a good swimmer and she asked if he was in court as she would like to speak to him.

Sgt. Lohan said the man had told Gardai he did not wish to come to court.

The judge said the maximum sentence the court could impose for the assault charge was six months but given Ariffin’s plea, she said the appropriate sentence was five months,.

“I would imagine a lay person reading this would think it’s too lenient, but we (judges) are bound to work within the confines of the law. I feel I have to explain that,” she said.

The sentence, she added, is to be served consecutively to the sentence Ariffin is already serving.

Judge Fahy imposed a consecutive four-month sentence for the loss of the victim’s glasses, but suspended it for two years to act, she said, as an incentive for Ariffin to turn his life around.

The sentence was suspended on condition he be of good behaviour and not reoffend and link in with the probation service 48 hours prior to his release from prison.

Two concurrent one-month sentences were imposed on him for breaching the peace and having the heroin in his possession while the remaining charge was taken into account.