A MAN HAS been found guilty of the attempted murder of three children in Parnell Square attack in November 2023.

Riad Bouchaker (52) was found guilty by a jury this afternoon.

Bouchaker was found guilty of causing serious harm to crèche worker Leanne Flynn and assault causing harm to two other children and a teenager on 23 November 2023.

The jury of nine men and three women began deliberations on Tuesday at the Central Criminal Court. 

The judge previously told the jury that their job is to assess the evidence in a “logical and cold” manner, and he reminded them that justice is not done by a “mob outside Parkgate St”.

Bouchaker had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

During the trial, the jury heard evidence that Bouchaker was upset after failing to secure social welfare payments.

He went to his hostel on Little Britain St in Dublin city centre, armed himself with a 36cm carving knife and walked to Parnell Square where he asked several people for the location of a school.

He waited in the area for about one hour before noticing that 13 primary school students aged five and six were lining up as they prepared to be taken to an after-school crèche. Bouchaker stood at a bus stop in front of the children for one minute and 40 seconds until the only other adult nearby was Leanne Flynn.

When Ms Flynn crouched down to zip up the coat of one of the children, Bouchaker removed the knife from a rucksack strapped to his chest. He moved quickly towards one little girl and stabbed her in the chest, causing a perforation to the right ventricle of her heart.

Ms Flynn dragged Bouchaker away but suffered a stab wound to her back as she did so. Bouchaker then continued his attack on the children until passersby intervened and knocked or dragged him to the ground.

The little girl suffered brain damage due to blood loss and will require lifelong care.

Another girl had an 8cm gash to the top of her head and lost a fragment of skull due to a wound to the back of her head. The other children suffered what were described as superficial wounds.

Ms Flynn required surgery to remove her spleen and to repair her diaphragm. She remained in hospital for one month.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.