Mark Bissett jailed after suspended sentence for threat activated

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

Mark Bissett was jailed for two years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 8 November 2018 after Judge Karen O’Connor activated a suspended sentence for a threat to damage a house. The proceedings were reported on 8 November 2018.

Bissett pleaded guilty to threatening Michael Maher that he would damage his house, intending him to believe the threat would be carried out. The threat was made at Central Bank Plaza, Dame Street, on 27 May 2016.

In June 2017, Judge O’Connor suspended the two-year sentence. She noted Bissett was at a high risk of reoffending and ordered that he be brought back before her if he got into further trouble, warning him that he faced two years in prison.

The court heard that Bissett held up a shop in Ranelagh with a knife on 15 October 2017 and used a fork during a raid on a pharmacy on Dunville Avenue, Ranelagh, on 26 October 2017. Judge O’Connor activated the sentence after hearing about the raids.

The court heard Bissett was angry that the charity run by Mr Maher was assisting a relative with whom he had fallen out. Bissett told Mr Maher he knew where he lived and threatened to burn down his house.

Karl Monahan BL, defending, said Bissett never intended to carry out the threat, had no difficulties with Mr Maher and wished to apologise. He submitted that Bissett had been intoxicated at the time but had significantly turned himself around during the previous year. Bissett had 60 previous convictions, including manslaughter and assault.