A man charged with attempting to murder three children on Parnell Square in Dublin told gardaí during an interview that he “did not want to kill”.Riad Bouchaker had also, via an interpreter, said: “They should know that I’m sick, I don’t know, I lost my head in this and whatever you want, guys, to do, please do.”In another exchange, Bouchaker told gardaí that “what happened was a mistake”. “I don’t know, I did something, I don’t know what I did, I don’t know what happened, I don’t know what I did, I found myself with blood and whatever you guys do, I agree with you,” he said. The jury on Monday, the ninth day of his trial at the Central Criminal Court, watched an interview with Bouchaker that was recorded at Mountjoy Garda station on December 20th, 2023. The jury heard he was arrested in hospital earlier and the interview was one of seven carried out with him. The 52-year-old, a native of Algeria of no fixed abode, denies charges of attempting to murder three children, two girls and a boy, on Parnell Square East on November 23rd, 2023. He has denied assault causing harm to two other children and to a passerby who intervened, and denied a further charge of assault causing serious harm to childcare worker Leanne Flynn. He also denies producing a 36cm kitchen knife capable of inflicting serious injury. The prosecution case is that Bouchaker’s actions on the day showed he intended to kill. A five-year-old girl who suffered severe brain injuries is now non-verbal and using a wheelchair. The jury has been told that Bouchaker told gardaí during interviews that he knew he had done something wrong but was sick and not in his right mind at the time and had no intention to kill anyone. He had said he was angry about being refused a social welfare payment that day and had a knife.Bouchaker, the jury heard, had a head operation in 2021, suffered a head injury during the incident at Parnell Square and now has an acquired brain injury. Before the trial, Judge Tony Hunt found him fit to plead.Sgt Ben Geoghegan told the jury he was the member in charge at Mountjoy station on December 20th, 2023, and was satisfied Bouchaker, who was taken to the station after being arrested in hospital, should be detained. He agreed with prosecuting counsel Karl Finnegan that the main purpose of bringing Bouchaker to the station was to interview him.The first interview was carried out by Det Garda Gary Moran and Det Garda Kevin Bambrick, with Bouchaker’s solicitor and a French-Arabic interpreter also present.At the outset, Moran cautioned Bouchaker, saying he did not have to answer questions but, if he did, anything he said would be written down and may be used in evidence. Bouchaker said, via the interpreter, that meant: “Do not say anything. Do not hear anything. Do what they tell you to do.”Moran said that was not what he said and repeated the caution and told Bouchaker gardaí understood he had mental needs and he did not have to answer questions. Bouchaker said he knew he could answer or refrain from answering and said “whatever is going to happen is in the hands of God”.After another exchange, the interpreter said half of what Bouchaker had said did not make sense to him (interpreter). Bouchaker had referred to a letter and had said they “did not lend me the money”. Moran told him he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder at Parnell Square East on November 23rd, 2023, at about 1.40pm. Asked did he understand the charge, Bouchaker replied it “has to do with killing people”. Moran said it has to do with attempting to kill people.In a further exchange, Bouchaker said: “When I got the envelope, I stayed alone, I don’t know anyone, I found myself with a knife and I found myself alone and I don’t know, I told myself ‘what did I do, what did I do’.”When Moran asked what did he do, he said: “You are police officer, you know, I did not want to kill.” Bouchaker also told Moran: “Whatever you want to do, do it please, their families will say I wanted to, please do whatever you want to me.”He also said: “I forget everything, it’s like zero.” The trial continues.