A Chinese man has been found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of abducting a fellow national and taking money from him under threat in the city last year.
Xu Shi Fan (20), Synnott Place, Dublin 1, was remanded in custody by Judge Patrick McCartan for sentencing on December 19th. The jury convicted him of assault with intent to rob and of false imprisonment of a Chinese student in a flat in Synnott Place on November 12th last year. He had denied the charges.
The court heard the victim was approached on November 5th last year in Dr Quirky's Good Time Amusement Arcade in Dublin city centre by a flat mate of Xu Shi Fan and forced to hand over some money. After taking £180 and $100, this man gave the victim £40 back. He then gave the victim a phone number and told him if he called he would get some more money back.
The victim tried to call the phone number the following week but never got through to anyone. The victim returned on November 12th to Dr Quirky's where he met the same man who was accompanied by another Chinese national. He was told he would get his money if he went to this man's apartment. They arrived at an apartment in Synnott Place where the victim met Xu Shi Fan. All three began threatening the victim and Xu Shi Fan told him he knew he had told people what had happened on November 5th and punched him. He was threatened if he told anyone else he would be killed. The victim was then asked for £5,000 by one of the men and for £3,000 by the man he previously met in the arcade. A long knife was produced and they threatened to cut off his fingers. The victim phoned a friend living in Dublin. This friend was told by the three men the victim would be kept in the apartment and if they did not get any money, he would be in trouble. The victim was taken to meet his friend who handed over £500.