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A CONVICTED KILLER who threatened to burn down the home of a man doing a soup run for homeless people in Dublin city centre has avoided jail.
Mark Bissett (31), who served a six-year sentence for manslaughter, was angry that the ‘You’re not alone’ organisation run by Michael Maher was assisting a relative he had fallen out with.
He told Maher that he knew where he lived and threatened to burn down his house.
Bissett, of Swords Road, Dublin 9, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making a threat to Maher to damage his house intending him to believe it would be carried out, at Central Bank Plaza, Dame Street on May 27, 2016.
Bissett has 60 previous convictions including manslaughter, assault and public order offences.
Never intended to carry it out
Karl Monahan BL, defending, said that Bissett never intended to carry out the threat, had no difficulties with Maher and wished to apologise in the strongest possible terms. He submitted Bissett had been intoxicated at the time but had significantly turned himself around during the last year.
Judge Karen O’Connor imposed a two-year sentence which she suspended on strict conditions.
She told Bissett: “What you did to Mr Maher was absolutely disgraceful, horrible and despicable. You are very lucky not to be going back to prison.”
She said it was deplorable and unacceptable behaviour towards a man carrying out charitable work.
Judge O’Connor noted Bissett was at high risk of re-offending and ordered he be brought back before her if he gets into any further trouble. She warned him he faced two years in prison.
She confirmed with the prosecution that there were other similar organisations Bissett could avail of and ordered him to stay away from the charity, Maher and Maher’s home.
Soup run
Garda Sinead Gorman told Derek Cooney BL, prosecuting, that Mr Maher was at the soup run organised for the homeless on Dame Street when he was approached by Bissett.
A brother of Bissett was being helped by the charity at a second soup run in Bray and Bissett was of the view that they should not be helping him. He said his brother had gotten him thrown out of a house and told Maher: “All the homeless in Bray are scumbags.”
He told Maher “I know where you live and you will be sorry” before later returning and threatening to burn down his house.
Maher, who also organises a spectacular Christmas lights display at his home for charity, believed Bissett knew where he lived and was nervous for his family. He went to Pearse Street garda station and reported the threats.
Maher recalled Bissett coming to be fed by the charity on at least two occasions but said he had no previous history with him. He said he could smell alcohol off him that night.
Maher said he suffered sleepless nights as a result of the threats. He said he felt uneasy and scared in his own home where he should feel safe.
Monaghan said Bissett had suffered significant issues with substance misuse in the past but was now in a stable relationship which, along with his own three children, provided him with a focus.
Counsel noted Bissett had been assessed last year as at high risk of re-offending but submitted he significantly turned his life around during the past year and had addressed many of the risk factors.
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Unbelievable. The legal system here is mind boggling at times.
@Eamonn Sheen: sure the Beak. Said he was lucky.!!!!!!?
60 previous convictions, high rist of reoffending, & the guards running ragged trying to catch these bucks and the courts let them walk free??? Soul destroying.
@Ray Reilly: AH but he has turned his life around now you see.
Then he’ll have another fall from grace, probably commit another murder or two, but luckily by the time he gets to court for convictions 61 thru 70 he will have again turned his life around.
I believe in second chances, not 62nd chances.
I believe you should only ever go to prison twice. Once for the first time, once for the last time.
@Ray Reilly: prime candidate for sterilisation!!!
@john g mcgrath: prime candidate for a lethal injection more like
He could also be described as a highly profitable repeat customer. Without such repeat customers there would not be a need for so many solicitors, Barristers or Judges.
If these customers were in Prison and could not commit more crimes then there would be many in the legal business out of work.
This judge should be held fully accountable if he reoffends. Sending a dangerous person back on the streets to ruin someone else’s life before locking him up, disgraceful.
The trend these days is if you have issues with substance abuse you get a get out of jail free card. There is no longer any detergent for criminals not commit a crime since all they get is a slap on the wrist. The courts are totally failing the society they were designed to protect. Only country in the world where the perpetrator is treated like the victim
@Dark Knight:
This character is dangerous.I hope the judge is held responsible when he offends again
@Gus Sheridan: She should but she won’t.
This country is a joke , he should be locked away for a few years , I suppose he got free legal aid too ? Farce
What do you have to do to serve time. Country is a joke legal system favours the criminal while the victim has no support. Hopefully some day this man doesn’t pay his tv licence maybe then we will get justice.
@Aidan Rainsford: If you are a normal Joe citizen who made a one time mistake or do not pay your TV licence you will probably be sent to prison.
Remember, To have 30 or 40 previous convictions you have to be proved guilty. To be proved guilty this many times you probably have to commit a couple of hundred crimes.
They probably get caught for 1 in 4 at best.
Delighted to hear he has 3 children of his own to focus on…..lucky them!! I hope the child protection agency are informed and monitoring his parenting skills FFS.
He is a festering scab on society with a massive negative imput to the community…At least if they had given him a few hundred hours community work such as helping out in a ‘soup kitchen’, then that may have been more beneficial; what is also a disgrace to society is that we actually need soup kitchens and which is a direct result of years of FF and FG austerity neo-liberal failed policies.
Everything that is wrong with our legal system is summed up with this headline
Where is the justice in this country. You could get up to 5 years for breach of section 12of the water services act. (peacefully protesting water meter installation) while a man who threatens the safety of another man’s family walks free. No. One would know if he meant the threat. You had to take it seriously.
This guy is absolutely bonkers. A real danger to society
https://www.google.ie/amp/s/amp.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/convicted-killer-guilty-of-bizarre-act-at-garda-station-34898305.html
Him saying the homeless in Bray are scu* bags is like the pot calling the kettle black.
Ah lads will ye calm down it was only a bit of banter after a few drinks.
@Tommy Browne: you might say that if he hadn’t already killed someone. This fact makes his threat credible.
@Niallers:
I was being sardonic Niallers.
Just think about this for a second….
“Bissett has 60 previous convictions including manslaughter, assault and public order offences.”
60
SIXTY
He has repeatedly broken the law up to and including killing someone sixty bloody times.
and where is he?
ON THE STREETS!!!!
Delighted to hear he has 3 children of his own to focus on…..lucky them!! I hope the child protection agency are informed and monitoring his parenting skills FFS.
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