Father jailed for murder of baby son

A father accused of the killing of his 20-month-old baby son has been jailed for life after a jury found him guilty of murder by a majority verdict.

Mr Yusif Ali Abdi (aged 30), a refugee from Somalia, with an address at The Elms, College Road, Clane, Co. Kildare, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of the murder of his son, Nathan Baraka Andrew Ali on 17 April 2001 in the apartment at College Road, Clane.

The jury verdict came after five hours deliberations in the Central Criminal Court trial.

Mr Justice Carney immediately sentenced Yusif Ali Abdi to the mandatory term of life imprisonment.

Mr Ali Abdi repeatedly called out: "This is racism, this is racism" after the verdict was announced.

His wife, Ms Amanda Bailey (aged 29) from Dundrum, Dublin went over to support him and turning to the jury, she said, "I hope you’re happy with yourselves."

The jury had to decide whether Yusif Ali Abdi was guilty of murder or if he was legally insane at the time he killed his son.

He told the trial that in the moments of the killing, he was "a zombie" and "like a man possessed".

He said he was responding to "voices" in his head that directed him to "hit him, hit him".

Two consultant psychiatrists called by the defence told the two-week trial they believed Yusif Ali Abdi was schizophrenic at the time of the killing and that his reason was impaired by a disease of the mind.

But a consultant psychiatrist at the Central Mental Hospital, Dr Damien Mohan, disputed their diagnosis and said that in his opinion, Mr Ali Abdi was legally sane. He had been in the Central Mental Hospital for the past two years and has been on prescriptions of anti-psychotic and anti-schizophrenic drugs.

The jury foreman said the verdict was by a majority of 10, with two dissenting jurors.