A man has been charged with assault causing harm after a television appeal broadcast on RTÉ’s Crimecall led to his identification and arrest in connection with an unprovoked attack on a young woman in Cork city centre last November.
Abdelilah Habbouly, 36, of Meadow Park, The Meadows, Hollyhill, Cork, was brought before Cork District Court on Monday afternoon after being arrested by Detective Garda Conor Cronin. He was charged with assault causing harm to the woman on Oliver Plunkett Street on 23 November 2025, contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
Footage of the attack shows a man approach a young woman with whom he had no prior contact before elbowing her in the face, immediately knocking her unconscious. After the assault, the accused left the scene despite a friend of the victim attempting to confront him. The woman was taken to hospital where she was found to have suffered a broken orbital bone.
The arrest followed a public appeal on RTÉ’s Crimecall, which aired footage of the attack showing the suspect in a green North Face jacket. The broadcast prompted a response that led officers to identify and locate Habbouly months after the incident.
Bail was granted with a series of strict conditions, including that Habbouly reside at his home address, sign on at Gurranabraher Garda Station three times a week, surrender his passport, have no contact directly or indirectly with the injured party, and remain contactable by phone at all times by An Garda Síochána. Frank Buttimer was appointed to represent the accused on free legal aid.
Judge Mary Dorgan adjourned the case until 29 June to allow time for directions to be obtained from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The case has attracted significant public attention online, with many expressing frustration at the bail decision and raising broader concerns about public safety in Cork city centre. The months-long gap between the attack and the charge has also drawn criticism from those who questioned why footage held by authorities was not made public sooner.
