Student sentenced to 4 years in prison in north Cyprus for assaulting a resident and a police officer

A student was on Wednesday sentenced to 4 years in prison by a north Cyprus court after he was convicted of assaulting a resident and a police officer.

The decision against the defendant, UMM, a Nigerian student in north Cyprus was delivered by a judge at the Lefkosa criminal high court on Wednesday November 6, 2024.

The suspect was arrested in July 2024 for threatening and assaulting a resident and a police officer with a machete and a knife.

Delivering the judgement in court, the judge stated that such conduct, particularly from a student in this country, could not be condoned. “Students coming to our country, known as an island of universities, should be more thoroughly vetted”, the judge said.

The judge described how, on July 10, 2024, at approximately 5 p.m., the defendant confronted a resident of an apartment building in Küçük Kaymaklı. When the resident, K.V., questioned why he was in the building and asked him to leave, UMM responded aggressively, kicking K.V.’s door and causing a disturbance. Wielding a 28 cm knife and machete, he then advanced towards K.V. in a threatening manner.

The judge further detailed how UMM resisted arrest when police arrived at the scene. He pushed Police Officer M.A., who was attempting to detain him, resulting in M.A. sustaining a broken arm. 

UMM was also found guilty of deliberately damaging the rear left door of the police vehicle by kicking it, bending the external frame and breaking internal wooden panels and hinges.

The judge highlighted the severity of the charges, noting that the crime of grievous bodily harm carries a potential seven-year prison sentence. The use of a knife and machete to intimidate and the assault on police officers performing their duties were considered aggravating factors. She also remarked on the prevalence of such violent crimes, pointing out that this trend is reflected in the annual reports of the courts.

Expressing the court’s disapproval, the judge stated, “The defendant brought terror to the situation”. The judge reiterated the importance of rigorous vetting for incoming students and asserted that crimes disrupting public order warrant prison sentences. She then confirmed the defendant’s four-year prison sentence.