A landlord who allegedly cut through the front door of one of his tenants with a circular saw has been arrested by Gardai.
The man was being quizzed by cops following the incident which was recorded and circulated online.
The shocking video which was recorded on Monday at a property in Ballinasloe in Galway is understood to have begun following a dispute over unpaid rent.
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Dr. Muhammed Raheel Jethel, who is a surgical registrar and lived in the house with his family, said he paid but the money was bouncing back and explained that he couldn’t get in touch with the landlord.
He said the issue of his rent not sending began last August but stressed he made unsuccessful attempts to contact the landlord and was keeping it aside.
Dr. Raheel, who is originally from Pakistan, then said last month, the landlord came to the door with a locksmith while he was at work.
His wife and his two young children thought somebody was breaking in at the time.
This escalated and Dr. Raheel, who had been renting the house for nearly four years, explained the landlord returned earlier this week with a circular saw while hurling abuse.
The shocking encounter was filmed.
During the video, the landlord can be heard saying: “I have a Quran in my car to burn. I don’t care about your family.”
The landlord is also heard telling Dr. Raheel: “I’m going to cut the door down. “I have been to the guards, they told me to ask you about the money, if you refuse, they will be coming.”
The terrified tenant is heard telling him to call the cops.
But in a sickening and Islamphobic jibe, the landlord said that he may be “going to Muhammad”.
Before adding: “No matter where you go in this life I will follow you after today,”
He is also seen cutting through the door and lunging forward at Dr. Raheel while the machine was on at various points throughout the video.
Speaking about the previous incident, Dr. Raheel said: “I kept trying every month and put the money aside so I would have it there when he got in touch.
“I didn’t hear from him for months. Then, on 28 March, when my wife called me from home and said I had to come right away, because someone was drilling outside and was breaking into the house, and she was with our children.
“I was in the middle of the operating room and I had to apologise and leave.
“When I got home, there was a locksmith at the door who claimed that he was told no one was living there and the locks needed changed.
In an interview with The Journal, he added: “The landlord arrived at the house shortly after and was shouting “Where is my rent?”.
"I told him that I had been trying to send it and had proof of this, but payments would not go through.
“He gave me some explanation about switching bank accounts. He proceeded to racially abuse me."
He said the landlord told him he wanted him to move out but gave no formal notice.
In a statement, Gardai confirmed an arrest had been made.
They said: “Gardaí investigating an incident at a residential premises in Ballinasloe on the 17th April 2023 have arrested a man for an alleged offence contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.
“The man is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda Station in Co. Galway. Investigations are ongoing.”
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