A man who was allegedly part of a “14-man pack” that chased Qayyum Balogun has appeared in court on charges of assault causing harm and violent disorder in connection with the investigation into the student’s death in Dublin.
Joshua Brodericks (25), with an address at Gleann Dara in Rahoon, Co Galway, faces four charges in relation to the incident. He is not being charged with any offences specifically against Balogun.
Balogun (21), from a Nigerian family based in Dundalk, was fatally attacked after attending a gig in Bewley’s Cafe on Grafton Street into the early hours of Monday.
In objecting to bail against Brodericks, Garda Will McCarthy of Pearse Street station described the incident in which Balogun lost his life as “truly senseless and vicious”.
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He said Brodericks and his associates had showed a “staggering propensity for violence” and had gone on an “unprovoked” and “frenzied rampage”.
Three arrests, including that of Brodericks, have been made in connection with the incident, but three people of interest have been identified by investigating gardaí. A woman was released without charge on Wednesday. A male teenager was arrested on Friday in connection with the investigation.
The incident was motivated by, the court heard, a “minor perceived slight” in which another person, said to be unrelated to Balogun and a small number of friends he was with, bumped into a member of Brodericks’s group of associates.
Brodericks initially became involved in the altercation as a peacemaker, but the incident escalated and his group was removed from Bewley’s club Seven Nine on Grafton Street, where they had been drinking alcohol in an upstairs booth area, the court heard.
McCarthy told the court the group left the club “intent on inflicting injury” and they remained outside in a “clear state of intoxicated aggression”.
Balogun, the court heard, had no “negative interaction” with the group, but one of Balogun’s friends recognised a member of Brodericks’s group from a “previous negative encounter”, the garda said.
Balogun’s friends were allowed to leave by a back exit of the club on to Harry Street, but were spotted leaving.
Brodericks and “his associates” chased Balogun and his group down Chatham Lane on to Chatham Street, it is alleged.
The “14-man pack ... relentlessly chased” the Balogun group, until Balogun himself “lost his footing” and was set upon by six people. He was “savagely and unprovokedly attacked by Josh Brodericks and his friends”, McCarthy said.
The garda said Brodericks played an “active and instigating role” and that he led the group in chasing and capturing Balogun. He actions, it is alleged, were the “catastrophic catalyst” in the death of Balogun.
In the fatal assault, the garda said, “a number” of knives were used as different members of the group were involved in “holding, assaulting and ultimately stabbing him to death”. It was not alleged that Brodericks possessed a knife.
The court heard that Balogun fought for his life and tried to escape. As he lay on the ground, Brodericks and his associates are understood to have returned to Grafton Street, with two members of the group disposing of knives.
At about 3am, in scenes caught on CCTV and third-party video, the “pack” encountered the two members of Balogun’s group, Chloe Scannell and Oreoluwa Amosu, who were in front of the Doc Martens store, the court heard.
It was alleged that Brodericks was the person who “initiated violence”. Scannell is said to have placed herself between the two parties to protect Amosu.
A member of the group then produced a “large knife” and went to swing it but lost their footing. Brodericks was alleged to have punched the woman in the face, “knocking her off her feet and to the ground”, before attempting to hold Amosu in place to prevent him from escaping.
The group then returned to a home on Bath Avenue in Dublin 4, which was a short-term let. Gardaí have secured videos from this property showing members of the group in “good spirits, laughing, dancing and rapping”. In one video, taken prior to the incident, one suspect in the case showed they were in possession of a knife in full view of the accused.
Brodericks was said to have “purposely changed” his long-standing long hairstyle, dreadlocks, in an attempt “frustrate any potential identification”.
However, he was wearing a “unique, one of one” Arsenal jersey before, during and after the incident which sported his rapper identity ‘REDZorJIGZ’ on the back. This and other factors left the Garda in “no doubt of his identity”, the court heard.
It is alleged that Brodericks, on the morning of June 1st, on Grafton Street, assaulted Amosu. He was also charged with assault causing harm to Scannell. Brodericks also faces two counts of violent disorder.
Defence counsel said he was entitled to the presumption of innocence and appealed for bail. His solicitor noted that Brodericks had turned himself in and that seven interviews with gardaí had been conducted.
His mother and sister were in court, and his mother said she would act as a surety for any bail that would be granted.
Brodericks, who lives in the family home in Galway, recently completed a degree in business and legal studies at Atlantic Technological University.
Approving bail on a bond of €1,000 under strict conditions, Judge Peter White said the charges were “serious offences” and related to an incident that led to a man’s death, but noted that the charges did not relate directly to Balogun or his death.
“The accused is not charged with any offences specifically against Mr Balogun and I think that is important to note,” the judge said.
The case was adjourned until next Friday, June 12th.
