Courts / Dublin / Report
Jail for man who stabbed upstairs neighbour for "incessantly" reciting poetry
Summary
John Paul Mulready, aged 40, was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for stabbing and biting his upstairs neighbour, Dermot Byrne, after an alleged "incessant" recitation of poetry. Mulready entered Byrne's flat with a serrated knife, shouted about music, and after a brief standoff in which Byrne brandished a frying pan, Mulready tackled him to the ground, stabbed him in the leg and bit him on the face. Byrne, a poet, defended himself with a vodka bottle and was helped by another neighbour. Mulready pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary with a knife in 2015 and has 116 prior convictions, including drug offences, knife possession, assault and criminal damage. He admitted the attack was triggered by the upstairs poetry. The court noted his history of offending and his recent drug‑ and alcohol‑free status at a residential treatment centre, but deemed the crime too serious for a suspended sentence.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jail for man who stabbed upstairs neighbour for "incessantly" reciting poetry. Charges or matters: aggravated burglary with a knife at Haddington Road, Dublin, on September 4, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 4, 2015 Incident
- 2018-02-27 Publication
Why: Detective Garda Stephen Homan confirmed to Judge Martin Nolan that Mulready admitted he had attacked Mr Byrne on the night because of "poetry recited incessantly" from upstairs. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: aggravated burglary with a knife at Haddington Road, Dublin, on September 4, 2015 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He described Mulready's attack as one of "bad temper and intemperance", adding that the crime was too serious consider a suspended sentence.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Camden Street
- Haddington Road
- Dublin
Topics
Burglary Drugs Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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