Tourist beaten to death had head ‘treated like a football’ | UK | News
A tourist who was “loved by everyone” was beaten to death in the street and his head was “treated like a football”, his sister told the Central Criminal Court.
Neno Dolmajian, 42, was visiting Ireland from Canada to watch the Liam Gallagher concert. But his family was left devastated when he was unable to return home after being involved in an incident on the streets of Dublin.
Maral Dolmajian said her brother had the “spirit and sensitivity of an artist” and was curious about the world and loved to learn as much as he could. Mr Dolmajin died after meeting a group of people near O’Connell Street, where he collapsed and kicked her in the face with all his might.
His sister said: “My mother and father always went the extra mile to help their family and friends. They were always generous with their time and energy. The result of all these good deeds, all these good deeds, was the murder of their only son. The son who never harmed a fly. The son who never fought, who got along well with everyone and was loved by everyone.”
She said bad things happen to good people and that her brother was “a good person, kind, funny, thoughtful, and fun to be around. He made people feel seen and valued. Everyone loved him.”
Adding that he lives with an “unbearable feeling of guilt” for not being able to keep his brother safe and thinks about his last moments every day, Dolmajian said: “How he was punched, pushed to the ground and kicked in the head with all his strength… I think about how Ionut Danca treated my brother’s head like a football. I think how unnecessary and violent it was. What kind of person does this and why? Why does he inflict such violence on someone he just met?”
He said his brother’s life was precious and he did not deserve to die this way. “He deserved to live a long and happy life, but his life was taken from him, taken from us.”
He told Mr Justice Paul McDermott his brother’s killer should receive a sentence that reflected the violence he suffered and acknowledged the family’s loss.
Ionut Danca, 25, pleaded guilty last year to the unlawful killing of Neno Dolmajian in O’Connell St Upper on July 2, 2024. Danish’s co-defendant, Madalin Ghiuzan, 24, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Dolmajian and causing him harm in Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin 1. Mr. Dolmajian was attacked on June 23, 2024, and died nine days later after receiving treatment in the Mater Hospital Intensive Care Unit.
Danca, a Romanian construction worker with an address at Rathdown Square, North Circular Road, Dublin 7, had previously been charged with murder. Manslaughter charges were brought against Ghiuzan, who is originally from Romania but has an address at Summerhill Parade in Dublin 1.
Following the criminal complaint, the murder charge against Danca and the manslaughter charge against Ghiuzan are not being pursued by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Sergeant Donal Byrne told prosecutor Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC today that the victim was a Canadian citizen of Armenian origin. He had an interest in music and playing the guitar and came to Ireland alone in June 2024. He was staying at the Ivy Exchange and was supposed to leave the country on July 2.
Mr Dolmijan was out drinking on the day of the fatal injury and encountered a number of men, including the two defendants, outside the Living Room nightclub on Cathal Brugha Street after midnight. An argument ensued in which Ghiuzan punched and pushed Mr. Domijian, causing him to fall to the ground.
Garda said the victim remained on the ground for more than a minute and tried to get back up. He then followed the group to O’Connell Street, where a further series of interactions took place in which Mr Dolmijian was again pushed to the ground before delivering a “running kick directly to the face” in Danish.
Danca’s lawyer, Eoin Lawlor, said Danca initially tried to act peacefully and did not show any aggression. He said something changed when Mr. Dolmajian hit the defendant or insulted his family.
The court heard Danish wrote a “sincere apology” to the deceased’s family and admitted what he had done was wrong. Mr Lawlor said he wanted to create a good life for himself and his partner, had no previous criminal record and was unlikely to appear in court again. He asked the court to consider a statement from Danish’s employer, which described him as having an “exemplary work ethic.”
Morgan Shelley SC, for Ghiuzan, said his client’s case could have been heard in the lower courts had it not been for the “deeply tragic” events that followed his attack on Mr Dolmajian. He asked Mr Justice McDermott to consider an order suspending the sentence altogether.
The court will announce the sentence on Tuesday, February 17.
