AN AFRICAN asylum seeker who attacked another resident in a Limerick Direct Provision centre has been jailed for 18 months at Limerick Circuit Court.

Ousmane Baah (27), who pleaded guilty to the assault at the Westbourne Hostel on Limerick’s Dock Road in November 2014, was also charged with robbing a mobile phone from the same man on the same date.

Judge Tom O’Donnell was told the court that Baah, who is a native of Guinea, pushed his way in to the victim’s room and demanded his mobile phone. He then punched the man in the face and continued his attack after he fell to the floor.

When Gardai arrived at the centre, they found Baah behaving aggressively near a car outside. Before his arrest, he retrieved the phone from behind a toilet and returned it to the victim.

Gardaí said that Baah, who was in receipt of €19 per week under the Direct Provision scheme, was so intoxicated on drink and drugs that they were unable to interview him until the next day.

Baah, who is currently serving nine-month prison sentence for convictions relating to breaches of the public order and assault, has a number of previous convictions for drugs offences, assaults and burglary

Judge O’Donnell said that Baah “has a propensity to violence and has served a number of short prison sentences but continues to offend upon release”.

“Being an asylum seeker is difficult enough but being one in prison is probably even worse”, he added.

Imposing an 18 month prison sentence, backdated to when he was first remanded in custody, Judge O’Donnell said he will have to find alternative accommodation when he is released.