Courts / Dublin / Report

Dublin man sentenced to 10 years for attempted murder

Date
2014-05-12

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Ballymun

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Dublin court on 12 May 2014, Thomas Ryan, aged 32, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for the attempted murder of Patrick Charles O'Neill, a 51‑year‑old cyclist, on 26 August 2013. Ryan admitted shooting O'Neill in the stomach with a double‑barrel sawn‑off shotgun, an act that left O'Neill with a bowel section removed and in intensive care until 11 September. Ryan also shot himself in the leg while handling the weapon, an accidental self‑injury that was noted by the court. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Carney, suspended the final two years of the sentence, citing Ryan's early guilty plea and admissions. The sentence was back‑dated to 28 August 2013 to account for time already spent in custody. The court heard that Ryan had 13 prior convictions and that the incident was linked to a drug‑related debt.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Dublin man sentenced to 10 years for attempted murder. Charges or matters: the attempted murder of Patrick Charles O'Neill on Glasnevin Avenue in Ballymun on August 26, 2013. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

August 26, 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
September 11 Hearing Or Sentence
August 28, 2013 Incident
26 August 2013 Incident
March 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
2014-05-12 Publication

Why: He said his client was 'not a gangland type figure' and that this was one of few occasions where someone said 'I will kill someone because I don't want to be killed myself'. CNI source report

Case subjects

Thomas Ryan

Convicted Person

Charges: the attempted murder of Patrick Charles O'Neill on Glasnevin Avenue in Ballymun on August 26, 2013 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Mr Justice Paul Carney sentenced Ryan to 10 years with the final two suspended and backdated it to August 28, 2013 for time spent in custody. In mitigation the judge took into account Ryan's early plea and his admissions before unconditionally suspending the final two years of the sentence.