Chinese 'bandits' jailed for stabbing garda

Two Chinese "bandits" have been given seven years sentences for their "brutal and vicious" armed robbery on female fellow-nationals in which they stabbed a garda who had helped foil their criminal escapade.

Xiang Cheng (aged 25) and Qian Cheng aka Jian Gong Ten (aged 28), both of no fixed abode, were found guilty by a jury on day seven of their trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in April of assaulting Garda James Hendrick causing him harm at Main Street, Raheny on July 13, 2005.

The jury found them not guilty on a second charge of intentionally or recklessly causing Garda David Comer serious harm on the same occasion.

Both had denied these charges but pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and the false imprisonment of Ms Xiao Mei Ma, aka Doris; Ms Ju Liu Yong, aka Angela; and Mr Yu Ting, aka Austin, in their house at Main Street, Raheny on the same date.

The jury heard that Gardaíi Hendrick and Comer thought they were going to be killed by a balaclava-masked man wielding a knife who repeatedly stabbed them after they foiled the Chinese gang who had tied up and held fellow-nationals captive.

Judge Tony Hunt described them as a "gang of bandits" who had "devised a very significant plan that had involved considerable thought and premeditation".

"The house was well watched prior to the robbery and they made sure that only vulnerable women would be there."

He said it was "very clear" they knew what they were looking for but accepted that other "more sinister individuals" were more involved in the crime.

Judge Hunt was told that both men were illegally in the State after their applications for asylum failed and are due for deportation on their release.

He imposed seven years terms for the aggravated burglary and false imprisonment charges but suspended the last two and half years because of their guilty pleas and on condition that they leave Ireland for ten years on release from prison and not return for that time unless they are required to give evidence in another trial.

He sentenced them to concurrent terms of four years for assaulting Gda Hendrick who Judge Hunt said, along with Gda Comer, was "unfortunate enough to come on the scene when the men were still there".

Garda Hendrick said in evidence that it "felt like an eternity" while he said Garda Comer was "fighting for his life" while being stabbed after he fell into a bath in the house.

Garda Comer shouted "Jesus Christ" about three times as he was stabbed a number of times in what was called "a frenzied style attack".

Garda Hendrick said he thought he was also "going to die" when cornered after getting his colleague out of the bath when trying to force the frenzied knifeman off him with one hand and call for help with his phone in the other hand.

"When you know the colleague you were laughing with in the car earlier is now in the bath fighting for his life it feels like a long time," Garda Hendrick said.

He said Gda Comer was struggling for breath and said "I am fucked" before falling to his knees on the landing. Garda Hendrick said he then saw the man with the knife who had attacked Garda Comer come out of the bathroom and he saw another man coming up the stairs.

"I thought I was going to die," he said.

He said the man coming out of the bathroom then ran past them down the stairs and he "presumed" they both ran out the front door. He said he felt "certain" that Garda Comer would die because of his injuries.

Garda Hendrick said he brought his colleague down the stairs and laid him down on the ground outside.

The court heard another Chinese man is due to be arraigned next month on charges of stabbing Gda Comer while an alleged fourth raider has since absconded. This man is believed to have organised the raid and waited outside ready to take stolen bank cards to a bank ATM.

Detective Gda John Delaney told prosecuting counsel, Mr Bernard Condon BL, that the womens' ordeal began when Ms Xiao answered the door to a Chinese man who immediately produced a 15cm knife and pushed her into the kitchen.

Another man came in and they both donned balaclavas and put masking tape on Ms Xiao's mouth and eyes. She was carried upstairs where they took her mobile phone and bank card and kicked her, demanding her PIN number.

Ms Ju had heard the commotion downstairs and had tried to escape out a window but was caught and tied up by a raider. A knife was held to her and they threatened to kill her unless she also gave them her PIN.

During the incident, Mr Yu came home from work and was jumped by one of the raiders and tied up. They threatened to cut off their fingers and Mr Yu had a knife placed to his neck.

A fourth housemate had managed to escape through the window and alerted gardaí. She led Gardaí Comer and Hendrick into the house and they were set upon when they went up the stairs.

The raiders escaped and a massive search operation was launched including the Garda Helicopter and Dog Unit. Xiang was found hiding in some bushes and Qian was arrested when a garda spotted his arm in the undergrowth.

They initially denied their involvement but later Qian made a voluntary statement identifying one of the other men involved. Four balaclavas were found at the scene as well as a hold-all containing kitchen knives, tape, a hammer and handcuffs.

Qian's defence counsel, Mr Ciaran O'Loughlin SC (with Mr Kerida Naidoo BL), said he had come here on a student visa but dropped out of his studies because of a gambling problem.

Xiang's counsel, Mr John Aylmer SC (with Ms Sandra Frayne BL) pleaded with the judge to allow the three years he has spent on remand to serve as his sentence.