*Burren Hostel.
A 62-year old Ukrainian war veteran, who has four sons fighting in the war against the Russians, has escaped jail after stabbing a man in the buttocks at a direct provision centre in North Clare.
At Ennis Circuit Court, veteran of the war in Ukraine, Petro Drima walked free after Judge Francis Comerford imposed a fully suspended three year and two month prison term on Mr Drima for the stabbing of Ukrainian, Oleksandr Lozyuk at the Burren Hostel, Doolin Rd, Lisdoonvarna on November 28th 2023.
Judge Comerford said that Mr Drima of High Street, Ballinrobe, Co Mayo carried out a “pure punishment attack to stab his victim as the man was trying to move away from the scene”.
The court heard that Mr Drima stabbed in a row sparked by Mr Lozyuk’s refusal to give the key to his bedroom to Mr Drima who was with a woman at the time.
Mr Lozyuk lived in his own room at the hostel while Mr Drima lived in shared accommodation there.
Mr Lozyuk had left the fight and the altercation but Mr Drima stabbed him from behind in the buttocks.
Judge Comerford said that the injury sustained by Mr Lozyuk “isn’t insignificant – it is quite wide 5cm and deep, 3cm”.
Judge Comerford said that in fully suspending the 38 month prison term, he was taking into account Mr Drima’s plea of guilt, his age, that he has not been in trouble for the past two years since the offence “and he does have obligations to third parties”.
Judge Comerford said that a short prison sentence would totally upend Mr Drima’s life and put back all the steps he has taken since to one side.
Judge Comerford also took into account the factors of stress that did exist in Mr Drima’s life at the time while staying at the direct provision centre.
Counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL (instructed by State Solicitor for Clare) Aisling Casey said that the victim in the case, Oleksandr Lozyuk has since died.
Mr Lozyuk’s death is unrelated to the stabbing incident in November 2023.
In evidence, Garda Brion Dolan said that Mr Lozyuk was preparing potatoes in the kitchen of the hostel on the night when Mr Drima approached him.
Garda Dolan said, “Mr Drima asked the injured party for the key to his bedroom so that Mr Drima could bring a lady back”.
Garda Dolan said that Mr Lozyuk “refused to hand over the bedroom keys and there was an argument between both parties”.
After the initial argument, Mr Drima shortly after produced the knife where he stabbed Mr Lozyuk.in the buttocks as he walked up a stairs.
Garda Dolan said that Mr Drima had arrived into Ireland after he left Ukraine following his discharge from the Ukrainian army on reaching his 60th birthday in the Summer of 2023
Prior to the war, Mr Drima had an agri business in Kherson in Ukraine and was working as an agri-worker in North Clare at the time of the November 2023 incident.
Garda Dolan said that Mr Drima received an eight year six month prison term in 2009 in the Russian city of Belgorod for theft and robbery.
Mr Drima was released in October 2016 and counsel for Mr Drima, Patrick Whyms BL (instructed by solicitor, Tara Godfrey) said that Mr Drima denies all wrongdoing concerning the robbery offence and said that he was targeted by the Russians because he is Ukrainian.
Mr Whyms said that Mr Drima has spoken about the stress of the war including the impact of shelling.
In a Garda interview, Mr Whyms said at the time of the incident Mr Drima said that he was thinking “about Ukraine, my mother, my sons in the war, my life and my soul”.
Mr Whyms said that Mr Drima’s “four sons continue to fight in that war for Ukraine and that causes considerable distress and anxiety in his life”.
Mr Whyms said that Mr Drima has moved on from direct provision accommodation and supports himself through work and has his own accommodation in Co Mayo.
