Gardaí investigating Yves Sakila death want to speak to woman knocked to ground during incident

GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING THE death of Yves Sakila on Dublin’s Henry Street have released a description of a woman who they say was knocked to the ground during the fatal incident last May.

In an update on the probe on Sunday afternoon, the Garda Press Office said investigators believe there are also “still other persons who were in the area at the time who have not come forward” to speak with gardaí.

Sakila, a Congolese man who had been living in Ireland since 2004, became unresponsive after he was restrained by security guards, before later dying in hospital.

Gardaí said on Sunday that during the incident, a male and a female were knocked to the ground but that so far investigators have only spoken to the male who was injured during the incident.

“The female is described as a white female, dark hair, in her late teens to early twenties, wearing a khaki-coloured waist length coat, black crop t-shirt, blue jeans cut at the knees and black Adidas runners,” the Garda Press Office said.

“After being knocked to the ground she got up herself and stayed around for a few minutes before making her way to O’Connell Street.

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“An Garda Siochana are interested in speaking with this female as part of this investigation and she is asked to contact the Garda investigation team.”

Investigating gardaí continue to appeal to any person who was on Henry Street, between Moore Street and Coles Lane, during the period 5pm until 5.25pm on Friday 15 May to contact the investigation team.

The investigation continues to be carried out by the Serious Crime Unit, Store Street garda station led by a Senior Investigating Officer.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Store Street Garda Station on 01 666 8000, the Garda Confidential Line, or any garda station.

Gardaí also confirmed today that they have received a completed postmortem report, but the details are not being released for operational reasons.

The case has sparked a strong reaction among Ireland’s black and African communities, particularly those in the Congolese diaspora.

Protests in the aftermath of the incident argued that the case raises wider concerns about the treatment of black people in Ireland and the use of excessive force by private security staff.