Courts / Wexford / Report
On-bail offender extorted over €22k from classmate who tried to buy small amount of cannabis
Summary
Daniel Byrne, 26, of Camolin, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to making threats, demanding cash and handling proceeds of crime between February and June 2024. He extorted €22,750 from a former classmate who had contacted him to buy a small amount of cannabis. Byrne threatened the victim and his family, demanding €700, then €5,000, and later collected €15,000 in multiple meetings. He also threatened the victim's father and contacted the victim at his workplace. Byrne's prior convictions include money laundering, possession of drugs, obstruction and threatening behaviour. He was on a suspended sentence for money laundering when the extortion began. The court reduced the initial headline sentence of seven and a half years to five and a half years, citing mitigating factors and Byrne's guilty plea. The victim's impact statement was not read in court.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: On-bail offender extorted over €22k from classmate who tried to buy small amount of cannabis. Charges or matters: making threats to cause serious harm, making unwarranted demands for cash and handling the proceeds of crime on dates between February 2, 2024 and June 6, 2024. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- February 2, 2024 Incident
- June 6, 2024 Incident
- January 2023 Incident
- April 2024 Other
- 2025-03-12 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: making threats to cause serious harm, making unwarranted demands for cash and handling the proceeds of crime on dates between February 2, 2024 and June 6, 2024 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He was on this suspended sentence when he began to threaten this man. He set a headline sentence of seven and a half years, before reducing this to five and a half years taking into account mitigating features in the case including Byrne's pleas of guilty.
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