Posted by Updated / Tuesday, 17 Feb 2026 15:38
Legal Affairs Correspondent
A man who kicked a Canadian tourist in the head in an assault on O’Connell Street in Dublin in June 2024, has been jailed for five and a half years for manslaughter.
Ionut Danca pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of 42-year-old Neno Dolmajian, who died in hospital in early July 2024.
His co-accused, 24-year-old Madalin Ghiuzan, was sentenced to 12 months in jail for an assault on Mr Dolmajian a few minutes beforehand.
However, as he has already served four and a half months in prison, the rest of the sentence was suspended.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott said these were crimes that should never have been committed, carried out in public view in the centre of the city.
He said Mr Dolmajian had been affected by alcohol and may have been verbally aggressive to a group of Romanian people, including Danca and Ghiuzan, but was not much of a physical threat and was outnumbered.
Danca had earlier been acting as a peacemaker and had tried to hold Ghiuzan back but then inflicted what the judge said was a deliberate kick to the head of Mr Dolmajian who was defenceless, lying on the ground, and no threat to anyone, instead of walking away as some of his friends were doing.
Mr Dolmajian’s sister, Maral, told the court last week that her brother’s head was treated like a football and his death had destroyed their family.
The court heard that Mr Dolmajian had arrived in Dublin on 20 June 2024. He was interested in music and was due to attend Liam Gallagher’s concert in the 3Arena.
He had been out on the night of 22 June and was making his way back to his accommodation off Parnell Street when he encountered a group of Romanian people outside the Living Room nightclub on Cathal Brugha Street.
The court was told the Romanian group did not want to fight but there was a row during which Ghiuzan punched and pushed Mr Dolmajian causing him to fall to the ground.
The Romanian group left the area while Mr Dolmajian remained on the ground for just over a minute.
When he got up, he asked a bouncer at the nightclub door which way the group had gone and followed them to O’Connell Street.
There were further interactions, during some of which, Danca was holding Ghiuzan back and telling Mr Dolmajian to go away.
Mr Dolmajian was pushed to the ground again and as he tried to get up, made comments towards Danca.
The court heard Danca “lost his temper” and directed a full force, running kick to the head.
The judge described this as an attack on a defenceless man, lying prone on the ground who was no danger to anyone.
Judge McDermott said a video shown during the sentencing hearing, showed that Mr Dolmajian was a man full of life and vigour.
He was clearly deeply loved and loved those near to him, the judge said, and was full of creativity, music and laughter.
He had come to Dublin to do what he always did – looking for new experiences and to meet new people.
The judge said what happened that night was devastating for his family and friends and nothing the court could say or do would relieve that devastation.
He added that they suffered not only the horror of losing a loved one but knowing it happened in such a violent way.
The judge said the running kick by Danca was carried out brazenly in public view on the main street of the capital city. He said there was no need for it and no justification for it and it was shocking to watch.
In mitigation, he said Danca, who worked in construction, had pleaded guilty, had no prior convictions and had a history of being a hard worker.
He sentenced him to six years in prison but suspended the final six months.
The judge said the tragedy of Ghiuzan’s assault was that it had probably contributed to Mr Dolmajian’s decision to go and look for the group and follow them.
However, he said the assault did not involve a weapon, and was premeditated and short lived. Ghiuzan also has no prior convictions.
He jailed him for 12 months but as he had spent four and a half months in jail, he suspended the balance of the sentence and Ghiuzan will be released.
Judge McDermott sympathised with Mr Dolmajian’s family who watched proceedings via videolink from Canada.
Maral Dolmajian shook her head as the sentences were imposed.
She had previously told the court her brother wouldn’t hurt a fly and she lived with the unbearable guilt that she was not able to keep him safe.
She said she thought every day about how unnecessary and violent his final moments were.
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