Damien Byrne gets suspended sentence for firearm possession

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Judge Melanie Greally imposed a four-year prison term on Damien Byrne, fully suspended on condition he keep the peace for four years. The proceedings were reported on 10 November 2021.

Byrne pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm.

He brandished an imitation pistol in Finches pub, Clondalkin, west Dublin, around midnight on 18 September 2016. After an outburst of violence involving an associate, he initially pointed it at security staff before waving it around the pub, causing customers to duck for cover.

His defence counsel Keith Spencer BL said Byrne had a severe dependency on cocaine and alcohol at the time. Counsel said he had been drug and alcohol free since 2020 after receiving an implant that made him violently sick if he drank alcohol. He also said Byrne had established a car valet business and a tanning salon, both of which were prospering.

The judge considered Byrne’s efforts to tackle substance abuse and his contribution since rehabilitation. She said custody would significantly set back his progress and noted that he had no previous convictions for similar offending.