Man sentenced to 6.5 years in jail for beating Sudanese migrant to death

A 22-year-old Israeli convicted of beating a Sudanese migrant to death in Petah Tikva was sentenced on Thursday to six and a half years in prison.

As part of an agreement with the Central District Attorney’s Office, Dennis Bershivitz plead guilty to manslaughter over the brutal November 2016 assault of Babikir Ali Adham-Uvdo, who succumbed to his wounds days later.

A second young man involved in the beating was convicted of aggravated assault, but he was a minor, 16, at the time of the attack and will therefore serve in a juvenile detention facility. The length of his term was not announced.

The parties signed off on the plea agreement in February.

Defending the seemingly light sentence, Bershivitz’s attorney Itay Rozin said that “the court is the one that decides at the of the day based on the evidence brought before it, and not on the basis of public inquiry or fervor.”

שש וחצי שנים בכלא לצעיר שהכה למוות נתין זר מסודןhttps://t.co/ohxOSQNt12 pic.twitter.com/e9NgYmFS0y

— ynet עדכוני (@ynetalerts) December 20, 2018

The Central District Attorney’s Office expressed disappointment in the sentencing, saying it had requested that Bershivitz serve ten years, rather than six. However, the court cited flaws in the conduct of police, emergency medics and hospital officials that it argued also contributed to Adham-Uvdo’s death.

According to court papers, close to midnight on November 14, 2016, Adham-Uvdo approached three teenage girls who were drinking and talking in the Petah Tikva municipal plaza. Apparently, after a short exchange, they shouted at him that he should leave them alone.

Bershivitz and the minor came over and shouted at Adham-Uvdo, believed to be about 40 years old, who raised his hands over his head and moved to leave the location. As he walked away, and with has back still turned towards them, the minor ran up, kicked him from behind, and threw a beer can at his head. The minor then allegedly kicked his victim again, knocking him to the ground and followed that up with several more hard kicks to Adham-Uvdo’s upper body, back, neck and head as he lay sprawled on the sidewalk.

Bershivitz then joined the attack and as Adham-Uvdo tried to get up gave him a hard kick causing his head to hit the sidewalk, the court papers said. Bershivitz continued the assault, kicking him another three times, pushing and punching him and kicking him while he lay helpless on the ground.

According to the indictment, as Bershivits delivered his final blows Adham-Uvdo made gargling sounds. The two suspects then ran off. Adham-Udo was brought to Beilinson Hospital where he died four days later of his injuries.

The minor was arrested shortly after the attack and Bershevitz was arrested several days later after refusing to present himself for questioning. When police arrived in a patrol car at his home to arrest him, he ran off but was quickly detained.