Courts / Roscommon / Report
Notorious garda murderer sentenced for throwing keg at jeweller's window
Summary
A 70-year-old man has been sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment, with the balance suspended from June, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for criminal damage. The defendant pleaded guilty to throwing a beer keg through the window of a jewellery store on Grafton Street in July 2015, causing over €8,300 in damage. Judge Melanie Greally noted the case was not routine, given the defendant's extensive custodial history. He had previously been convicted of the capital murder of Garda Henry Byrne near Loughglynn, County Roscommon in 1980 and served over 30 years in prison before his release in 2013 following a Supreme Court judgement on remission. The court heard he has twelve prior convictions and was intoxicated at the time of the offence. His barrister submitted that he had experienced mental health difficulties and expressed remorse, offering to compensate the jeweller from his pension.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Notorious garda murderer sentenced for throwing keg at jeweller's window. Charges or matters: criminal damage at John Brereton Jewellers on July 23, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- July 23, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 7, 1980 Incident
- April 7 Adjournment
- June 1st Adjournment
- 2017-05-12 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: criminal damage at John Brereton Jewellers on July 23, 2015 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: McCann was sentenced to death by hanging in 1980 for the capital murder of Garda Henry Byrne, who was shot dead in the aftermath of an armed robbery near Loughglynn, Co Roscommon on July 7, 1980. Another man, Colm O'Shea, was also sentenced to death.; Judge Melanie Greally previously adjourned the matter until April 7 to allow for a probation report, noting: "I'm clearly not dealing with an average case." Today she imposed a sentence of two and a half years backdated to December last, with the balance suspended from June 1st next. "Mr McCann has spent, if not the majority of his adult life, then a very large portion of his adult life in custody
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Supreme Court
Topics
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