Chef glassed St Andrews pub-goer after Paris terrorists killed his cousin

A French chef glassed an innocent reveller who bumped into him in a St Andrews pub - just as he learned his cousin had been murdered in the Paris terror attacks.
Dundee Sheriff CourtDundee Sheriff Court
Dundee Sheriff Court

Ali Nacibi-Zerigue (28) was in the Victoria Cafe when he took a call from his sister in his homeland.

She broke the news to him that his cousin, Algerian-born violinist Kheireddine Sahbi, had been shot dead in Paris as terrorists hit the city that night.

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At that moment pub-goer Dylan Muir (19) bumped in to Nacibi-Zerigue.

As Mr Muir turned to apologise for the innocuous action the Frenchman swung a glass or a bottle and smashed it into the victim’s face.

Fiscal depute Kirsten Letford told Dundee Sheriff Court: “Around 1.30am the complainer and friends were on the dancefloor when he bumped into the accused while the accused was on the phone.

“As he turned to apologise the accused struck him with a glass object.

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“Blood was immediately pouring from a head wound on Mr Muir.

“Bouncers followed and approached the accused and he was shortly after detained by police.

“He was taken to police HQ in Dundee where he was cautioned and charged.

“He replied ‘I don’t do something wrong’.

“The complainer suffered a four centimetre laceration to his forehead and received six stitches.

“It has left a visible scar to this day.”

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Nacibi Zerigue, of Glasgow, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of assaulting Dylan Muir to his injury and permanent disfigurement on November 14, 2015.

Defence solicitor Edward Robertson said: “His sister was calling him to tell him his cousin had been killed in the Paris terror attacks.

“He was on the phone at the time to his sister who was telling him that news.

“The terror attacks had taken place earlier that night.

“He has been working solidly as a chef since 2010 in this country.

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“He is currently working at a new Tony Macaroni branch in East Kilbride and commutes there from his home in Glasgow.”

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports and released Nacibi-Zerigue on bail.

A total of 130 people plus seven terrorists died in the attacks on November 13 and 14 at the Bataclan theatre, the Stade de France and on streets in central Paris.

Kheireddine Sahbi, a masters student at the Sorbonne, was caught up in the attacks on restaurants in central Paris as he was returning home

He was described by Barthélémy Jobert, president of the university, as a “virtuoso violinist”.