STRING OF CONVICTIONS AND A TEN-YEAR DRIVING BAN FOR 25-YEAR-OLD ALREADY DOING JAIL TIME

DETAILS of the offending of James Byrne (25) with addresses at 48 The Faythe and 10 Davitt Road in Wexford were given to the District Court after he entered a series of guilty pleas. The list included drugs possession and motoring offences: On January 1 last year, he made threats on the life of Garda Barry Brennan and a colleague in a patrol car which came across Byrne in North Main Street – taken into consideration.

On April 8 last year, he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and a urine sample showed that he was indeed over the limit. He never produced any evidence that he had insurance – five month sentence.

On April 11 last year, he kicked in the doors of two Wexford shops, Flanagan’s and Colman Doyle’s, while in a drunken state. The repair bill amounted to €860 – six month sentence.

On April 16 last year, a garda search of his home uncovered cannabis in various forms in a shed to a value of more than €1,600. Byrne admitted that he had been selling the drug to friends – nine month sentence.

On October 10 last year, the defendant was discovered at the home of Joe Carthy - 8 Donovan’s Wharf - with an ice pick and a claw hammer. A window had been broken at the premises – nine month sentence.

On April 3, 2016 he was stopped driving while uninsured at Mount George. He had €20 worth of cannabis herb with him at the time and €100 of the drug were later found in the kitchen during a search of his home – six month sentence for the motoring offence.

On July 4 2016, he was involved in a road accident near his home and admitted at the scene that he had no insurance – six month sentence.

On July 23, 2016, gardaí were called to investigate criminal damage to the house in The Faythe where the accused had been a tenant. The cost of repairing sills, ceilings, doors and the rest came to €850 – nine month sentence.

Solicitor Tim Cummings accepted that the defendant was out of control for a period, describing Byrne’s life at the time as extremely chaotic, with drink and drugs playing a major role.

Convicted of assault in another court, he was not due out of the Midlands Prison until some time in June of 2018, Mr Cummings calculated.

The offender attended drugs counselling while in jail, Judge Gerard Haughton was told

The judge felt that there was no point in extending the time to be spent behind bars and marked all terms concurrent with the existing sentence.

Byrne was banned from driving for ten years.