Man cleared of baseball bat murder

A father of four has been cleared of murdering a man with a baseball bat in broad daylight on a busy street in what one witness described as “like something out of Star Wars”.

A two-week trial at the Central Criminal Court heard that a fight broke out between two men with baseball bats shortly before lunchtime on October 10, 2013, in Swords, Co Dublin.

The murder accused claimed that he was acting in self-defence when he hit the other man over the head with the bat on Main St, Swords.

Jooda Akanbi, aged 39, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Taiwo Jamani, aged 45, on November 13, 2013, the date of his death in hospital due to a severe, traumatic brain injury.

The trial heard that both men, from Nigeria, had fallen out the year before the incident and no longer saw each other. However, their paths crossed at around 12.20pm, when Mr Akanbi drove his car down Swords’ Main St, passing Mr Jamani.

Mr Jamani crossed the road to the accused, there was shouting, and each man soon took a baseball bat out of the boot of the BMW.

Mr Akanbi said that the deceased was the first to raise his hand, punching him in the jaw before grabbing a bat. He testified that it was only then that he took the second bat out of the car.

The fight was brief and involved both men blocking each other with the bats. One witness described it as “like something out of Star Wars”.

By the time the emergency services arrived, Mr Jamani was lying on the ground.

He never recovered from the blunt force trauma to the head, which shattered the top of his skull and caused severe, traumatic brain injury.

Mr Akanbi admitted striking his head with the bat and was arrested at the scene.

The five women and seven men of the jury began considering their verdict on Thursday and had deliberated for more than seven hours and 10 minutes when they returned to court with their verdict of not guilty yesterday.

Mr Justice Hunt thanked them for their service and exempted them from jury service for seven years.

He discharged the accused, who became emotional as he embraced his wife and left the courtroom.

There was no member of the deceased man’s family in court for the verdict.

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