District Judge Orla Austin sentenced Abdoela Berhan, 35, to six months in prison Thursday for punching Cleo Lake unconscious outside a Bournemouth nightclub , Dorset, England, in December 2024.
The Sun reported that Austin imposed the six-month maximum for common assault, matching the Sentencing Council’s published limit.
Berhan attacked Lake, then 20, outside Cameo nightclub early Dec. 7, 2024, after she rejected his advances, the court heard.
Lake pushed him away after he entered her personal space. CCTV reportedly showed Berhan try to kick her before she kicked back.
He then punched her once, breaking her nose and leaving her unconscious.
“There was very serious violence against a young woman who had simply rejected your advances.” — District Judge Orla Austin
Berhan claimed self-defense. “It was not my intention to attack her,” he said through a Tigrinya interpreter. Austin rejected his account after viewing the footage.
Lake’s mother, Helen O’Brien, said six months “doesn’t seem long enough.”
Reports said Berhan also was convicted of damaging a police cell and assaulting a Subway worker in a separate Nov. 30, 2024, incident.
Reports placed Berhan at the Britannia Hotel, which housed asylum seekers, but his exact immigration status was not independently confirmed. IBTimes UK reported that Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called for his deportation. He described Berhan as an illegal immigrant.
This is a developing story. Virginia Times will update as information becomes available.
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