Somali sentenced for killing goats in back garden

Somali sentenced for killing goats in back garden

A judge said he respected religious beliefs but that the law of Ireland had to be observed as he sentenced a Somali man for slaughtering four goats in Halal fashion in a house in Tralee.

By Anne Lucey

kibagaJudge Carroll Moran imposed a one-year prison sentence on Somali asylum-seeker Rashid Kibaga for cruelty to animals, after hearing how four young goats were slaughtered in a semi-detached house in a Tralee housing estate.

The judge suspended the sentence for two years.

Kibaga, aged 23, of Atlas House, Deerpark, Killarney, originally from Mogadishu, had pleaded guilty to a charge of cruelty to animals at Balloonagh Estate, Tralee, on Apr 23, 2012.

He had also pleaded guilty to using No 54 Balloonagh Estate as an abbatoir, when the house was not licensed as such. He admitted a third count of failing to ensure the goats didn’t suffer.

Outlining the evidence to prosecutor Tom Rice, investigating garda Patricia Fitzpatrick told the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee, how at around 3.30pm on the day in question, gardaí received a complaint from residents of the estate about “goats screaming and in pain”.

Gardaí, dog wardens, and animal welfare inspectors went to a house owned and occupied by an Irish national and found three foreign nationals present, including the accused.

The other non-Irish were from Atlas House, Tralee, (also an asylum centre).

They found four goat carcasses, two of which had been skinned and lying in a shopping trolley. Another goat had been beheaded and was lying next to two knives and a large pool of blood. The goats were around one and two months old. A fifth goat, of the same age, was alive in a shed at the rear of the house and in a poor condition.

Interviewed, Kibaga readily admitted cutting the throats of the goats while a friend held them down. He said this was part of his religion and the preparation of Halal meat. He did not know this was illegal in Ireland.

Animal welfare inspector Harry McDaid told gardaí the goats would have been terrified and in pain. He had found three cuts on the goats’ throats — the first cut would not have worked and it took a number of attempts to cut the throats successfully.

Brian McInerney, for Kibaga, said his client was an asylum-seeker and a disciple of Allah. He was a strong observer of his faith and was doing things in accordance with his religion and habit all his life.

The goats were delivered by an Irish person.

Kibaga’s wife and two children were with him in court. He sought asylum here after his father was hacked to death in Somalia and two brothers were also killed, counsel said.

For a devout Muslim to consume meat not killed in Halal fashion would be a grave sin, Mr McInerney said. What he did was customary in Somalia and taught by males in the family. “He now accepts things are done differently in this country and he apologises,” Mr McInerney said.

Judge James O’Connor had declined to hear the case at the district court and it was sent forward to the Circuit Court.

Judge Carroll Moran said that in Ireland one could not kill animals in a manner which would cause suffering and pain to them.

“If he does this again he is probably going to go to prison,” the judge warned.

“I respect his religious beliefs, but the law of Ireland has to be observed. This is a serious matter and I have to impose a prison sentence which I will suspend,” the judge said, emphasising that the important element was the cruelty to animals.

If he stayed out of trouble, that would be the end to the matter, he said. Kibaga was also bound to keep the peace for two years.

Source: Irish Examiner

 

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