Man Claims Welfare Refusal Led to Blackout

Fifty-two-year-old Riad Bouchaker, accused in the chilling Parnell Square incident, insists he’s not guilty — claiming he was “not in his right mind” and suffered a mental blackout triggered by the denial of his social welfare after 14 years. He told police he had “no conscience,” couldn’t recall details, even forgot who the gardaí were, and described himself as “saturated” and “sick,” even asking officers to kill him. Despite CCTV footage identifying him, he insists he was “literally unconscious” during the attack. He claims he never meant to harm the children — especially the five-year-old girl he severely injured — and says he had never seen them before. His brother called him “not that kind of person,” but Bouchaker’s fractured state and volatile testimony leave the case deeply unsettling and unresolved. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/c9c6ef1e82e4f34a