Sentencing for Abdullah Khan, who pleaded guilty to stabbing a garda and setting fire to a pub owned by Conor McGregor, has been pushed back to October 12 after he refused to engage with risk and psychological assessments.
Lack of Cooperation
At the non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor expressed disappointment that Khan, 24, was not willing to cooperate. The court heard that Khan had said that morning he was “not willing to engage” with a risk assessment. His defence also told the court he was not willing to undergo a psychological assessment.
Judge O'Connor said the court had made it “very clear how important” the risk assessment would be and had provided time and mechanisms to compile reports. She called his lack of engagement “disappointing to say the least”. As a result, a final sentence will be handed down on October 12 at 11am, and he was remanded in custody until then.
The Attacks
Khan pleaded guilty to stabbing Garda Gary Lynch on Capel Street in Dublin on July 29 last year, and to an arson attack on the Black Forge Inn, a bar owned by Conor McGregor, on July 25. Irish police said Khan shouted “Allahu Akbar” before the stabbing and expressed support for the Islamic State (IS) group during interviews.
Mental Health Background
Khan's defence barrister previously told the court he had been in a “mental health crisis”. During garda interviews, Khan indicated he was not a very stable person, had battled with mental health issues, and had been homeless for a period. He said he did not trust doctors or psychologists, and the court heard he resisted attempts by his family to get him professional help.
Khan was born in Ireland and is the youngest of six siblings. He spent some time studying abroad in Pakistan but found it difficult and returned to Ireland.
