A 23-year-old Iraqi-Kurdish man has been sentenced to life for murdering two gay men in Ireland last year. Homophobic killer Yousef Palani brutally murdered two gay men last year, decapitating one of them, and assaulted a third man during a four-day killing spree in Sligo town.
Palani admitted to the offences at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on 23rd October and pleaded guilty to the murders of Adian Moffitt at Cartron Heights on 10th April 2022 and Michael Snee at City View on 12th April 2022.
The accused also pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to Anthony Burke, a local man who survived Palani’s attack and assisted in the police investigation.
Justice Mary Ellen Ring while delivering the sentence, said that Palani had committed “unspeakable violence” against three innocent men. Palani reportedly targeted gay Irish men who lived alone.
He used a gay dating app to find his victims. He then tied them up before stabbing them to death and mutilating their bodies in their homes. Palani decapitated Adrian Moffitt, placed his head on a bed and his body was on the floor. Moffitt had 42 stab wounds, and his hands were tied behind his back.
A yellow bottle of bleach was left beside his head, while a knife with a serrated blade had been placed into Mr Moffitt’s right hand after he was murdered.
Michael Snee was also found tied up on the floor of his own bedroom, while a hunting knife and a black coloured knife had been laid on the bed to make the shape of a cross.
There were 38 sharp force injuries to Snee’s body, and he had been stabbed 25 times mainly to the head, neck and chest, said the garda witness.
Survivor Anthony Burke recalled Palani “shoving” a knife in his eye and said he was suffering insomnia, heightened anxiety, and mood deterioration since the attack. Burke lost sight in one eye.
The gardai (police) said that Palani would have continued to kill gay men if he had not been arrested on 13th April. Palani reportedly told the police that he wasn’t gay because he was a Muslim despite forensic evidence showing that he engaged in sexual activity with at least one victim.
Detective Conor Jordan said that there is no evidence that Palani was radicalised “despite some suggestions to the contrary”.
Detective Jordan said that there is no evidence to support Palani’s claim of mental health issues. Palani had initially denied any involvement but later made full admissions claiming that he heard voices which told him to carry out the attacks.
However, according to the detective, there is no evidence to support Palani’s claim of mental health issues and believes that his account of hearing voices may be exaggerated or fabricated entirely.
Yousef Palani is originally from Iraq and had migrated to Ireland with his family when he was six years old under a UN protection programme. The family was provided with accommodation by the State in Sligo.
Reports suggest that Palani and the family had strained ties with the neighbours. According to a report by Jihad Watch, a neighbour said, “It’s not that they were causing trouble all the time, but they would intimidate us subtly.”
Another report by Irish Examiner claimed that when Palani played football with local children at 10-11 years of age, he would kick the children and not the football. This resulted in brawls between parents and reportedly “set the tone for future interactions”.
The residents were quoted by the Irish Examiner saying, “We’re not racist. We just want the people to come and live here peacefully.”
The report also claimed that Palani’s father was often seen doing karate moves in the middle of the entrance to the estate. He would run bare-chested around Cairns Hills every day – often backwards – even in winter and his wife would run after him with her niqab on.
The father of the accused has reportedly not been seen publicly since his son’s arrest last year. No family member was seen at any of his court appearances at the Sligo District Court.
Palani is known to be one to invite trouble even during his time in school. One of the locals said, “That guy Yousef was trouble from day one. And that’s a fact.” One of his teachers called him “extremely intellectually challenged”.
Some neighbours also insist that Palani was known to the police. One of the neighbours reportedly witnessed him being arrested and taken out of the house in handcuffs over criminal damage allegations in the town.