Jury hears of 'chaos' at Parnell Square and woman screaming 'the kid is dead'

Chaos erupted on Parnell Square in November 2023, with a language school receptionist testifying to hearing a woman scream "the kid is dead" and seeing a man lying on the ground covered in blood. Luciana Yaya, originally from Argentina, provided evidence on Friday during the ongoing trial of Riad Bouchaker, who denies eight charges, including the attempted murder of three children.

“

the kid is dead

Yaya recounted that a man, identified as Bouchaker, entered the language school around 12:30 PM on November 23, 2023, stating he was waiting for "my friend and the kid." After being informed there were no children present, he left. Shortly after, Yaya heard screaming and discovered the street in disarray, initially mistaking it for a car accident due to a bicycle on the ground.

Visibly upset, she described seeing an ambulance attending to a child and people attempting to assault a man on the ground, while others intervened, urging them to wait for the police. Yaya positively identified the man on the ground as the same individual who had entered her school earlier, noting a distinctive scar on the left side of his face.

“

covered in blood

Bouchaker, a 52-year-old native of Algeria with no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder three children, assaulting two other children and a passerby, and assaulting a care worker. He also denies producing a kitchen knife during the incident. The prosecution alleges Bouchaker's actions, including stabbing with a knife and targeting young children, demonstrated an intent to kill.

“

no, we don’t do things like that here, we have to wait for the police

One five-year-old girl suffered severe brain injuries requiring immediate surgery and is now non-verbal and uses a wheelchair. During interviews, Bouchaker reportedly told gardaí he knew he had done wrong but claimed he was ill and not of sound mind at the time, stating he had no intention to kill anyone. He mentioned being angry about being denied a social welfare payment that day and possessing a knife. The jury heard Bouchaker had undergone head surgery in 2021 and sustained a head injury during the Parnell Square incident.

“

I know what I saw