Courts / Dublin / Report

Convicted killer carried out armed raids after receiving suspended sentence

Date
2018-11-08

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin City

County
Dublin

Summary

A man with previous convictions for manslaughter has been imprisoned after carrying out armed raids whilst serving a suspended sentence. Mark Bissett, aged 33, of Swords Road, Dublin 9, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to threatening to burn down the house of a charity worker in May 2016. The threat was made at Central Bank Plaza, Dame Street, during a soup run for homeless people in Dublin city centre. Judge Karen O'Connor had suspended a two-year sentence for this offence in June 2017, cautioning Bissett that he faced imprisonment if he reoffended. Within four months, Bissett carried out armed robberies on two shops in Ranelagh. On 15 October 2017 he wielded a knife during one raid, and on 26 October he used a fork during a pharmacy robbery. Judge O'Connor activated the suspended sentence, imposing the full two-year term. Bissett has sixty previous convictions including manslaughter, assault and public order offences.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Convicted killer carried out armed raids after receiving suspended sentence. Charges or matters: making a threat to Michael Maher to damage his house intending him to believe it would be carried out at Central Bank Plaza, Dame Street on May 27, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

May 27, 2016 Incident
June 2017 Incident
October 15, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
October 26 Hearing Or Sentence
Christmas Other
2018-11-08 Publication

Case subjects

Mark Bissett

Convicted Person

Charges: making a threat to Michael Maher to damage his house intending him to believe it would be carried out at Central Bank Plaza, Dame Street on May 27, 2016 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: In June 2017 Judge Karen O'Connor suspended a two year sentence for this threat offence. Today Judge O'Connor activated that sentence and jailed Bissett on hearing that four months after she had imposed the suspended term, he carried out armed raids on two shops.