A Nigerian man has been sentenced to nineyears in prison in Ireland after threatening to cut off the fingers of two students during a violent home invasion in Cork.
The 22-year-old, Martin Ekhosuehi, was convicted at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on multiple charges, including aggravated burglary, assault causing harm and making threats to kill following a jury trial.
The court heard that the incident occurred on July 2, 2023, when Ekhosuehi and another man forced their way into a rented student house on Highfield Avenue, near College Road in Cork. Armed with weapons, the intruders confronted the occupants and demanded money and drugs while ransacking the property.
During the ordeal, which lasted for close to an hour, the attackers threatened the students and warned they would begin cutting off their fingers if their demands were not met. The victims were also assaulted during the robbery before the suspects fled the scene with a small amount of cash and mobile phones.
The students later reported the incident to the police, describing the terrifying experience and the threats made against them during the invasion.
Investigators subsequently linked Ekhosuehi to the crime through forensic evidence and other investigative findings, leading to his arrest and prosecution.
Delivering judgment, Justice Sinead Behan sentenced him to 11 years in prison but suspended the final two years, leaving him to serve nine years behind bars.
The court noted that the violent nature of the attack and the threats made against the victims caused significant trauma to the students involved.
Ekhosuehi had denied the charges during the trial but was found guilty on all counts by the jury.
