Man ordered to compensate Cork hostel after he 'lost the head' over damaged bike lock

“During the altercation he swung a fire extinguisher at the assistant manager. He believed he would have been struck if he had not ducked out of the way.”

The court heard that the lock on his bicycle had been cut in order to move it as it was deemed a hazard. File picture: Denis Minihane

Cutting a lock to remove a bicycle that was causing an obstruction in a hostel resulted in a violent reaction by the bike owner who smashed a large amount of property and swung a fire extinguisher in the direction of a manager.

Khalid Billel, 30, who is now living in Galway, was living at the Glenvera hostel on Wellington Road, Cork, and pleaded guilty to a charge of causing criminal damage to the hostel on October 2, 2021.